SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 735
In Memory
of
Vatra Grace Solomon
WHEREAS, The State of Texas lost an admired public servant
with the passing of Vatra Grace Solomon of Mount Pleasant on
May 22, 2018, at the age of 71; and
WHEREAS, The daughter of former state representative Neal
Solomon and Barbara Connelly Solomon, Vatra Solomon was born in
Commerce on October 3, 1946, and grew up with a sister, Nila, and
a brother, Jim; she graduated from Mount Vernon High School and
completed her bachelor's degree in elementary education and
music at East Texas State University; early in her career, she
taught in Dallas and Mount Vernon and worked for the Texas State
Teachers Association; she went on to join her father's insurance
business and opened Solomon Insurance in Mount Pleasant in
1983; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Solomon joined Bill Ratliff's successful
campaign for the state senate in 1988 and then became his
executive assistant in Austin and Mount Pleasant; she continued
to serve in his office after he became lieutenant governor in
2001, and his predecessor, Bob Bullock, fondly deemed her "strong
as horseradish" in her role as gatekeeper; always kind and
gracious, she was a confidant to public officials and fellow
staffers alike, and the counsel she offered freely was both frank
and wise; she advocated for teachers and set an inspiring example
through her commitment to the greater good of the Lone Star
State; in 2001, she received the inaugural Betty King Award for
Legislative Staff Service; and
WHEREAS, Following Lieutenant Governor Ratliff's retirement,
Ms. Solomon served as East Texas outreach coordinator for
then-state comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn; she later joined
Eric Wright & Associates, a government relations consulting
firm; over the years, she served as president of the chambers of
commerce in both Mount Vernon and Mount Pleasant, and she was
appointed by Governor Mark White to the Sulphur River Basin
Authority; and
WHEREAS, Vatra Solomon lived a caring and purposeful life
dedicated to the well-being of her fellow Texans, and she will be
remembered with deep admiration and affection by all who were
fortunate enough to know her; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 86th
Legislature, hereby pay tribute to the memory of Vatra Grace
Solomon and extend sincere condolences to all who mourn her
passing; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this Resolution be
prepared for her family and that when the Texas Senate adjourns
this day, it do so in memory of Vatra Grace Solomon.
Hughes, Hinojosa,
Seliger, Watson,
West, Whitmire,
Zaffirini
____________________________________________________________
Member, Texas Senate Member, Texas Senate
____________________________________________________________
Member, Texas Senate Member, Texas Senate
____________________________________________________________
Member, Texas Senate Member, Texas Senate
______________________________
Member, Texas Senate
______________________________
President of the Senate
I hereby certify that the
above Resolution was adopted by
the Senate on May 13, 2019, by a
rising vote.
______________________________
Secretary of the Senate