H.R. No. 75
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, A full and generous life drew to a close with the
passing of Chalys Diane Baker of Amarillo on May 22, 2021, at the
age of 88; and
WHEREAS, The former Diane Gross was born on September 30,
1932, in Evanston, Illinois, to Dorothy and Peter Gross; she
graduated from Santa Fe High School in New Mexico, before enrolling
at New Mexico State University, where she met her future husband,
Richard Allen Mayfield; during his career in the U.S. Air Force, the
couple lived in locations around the world and together raised
three daughters, Cheri, Pamela, and Karen; after their marriage
ended, she wed Jerry Baker; and
WHEREAS, While living in Santa Fe, Ms. Baker served as
director of the Santa Fe Chamber of Commerce and the Santa Fe
Convention and Visitors Bureau; she played an integral role in
elevating the city's status as a tourism destination, and she was
also appointed as the marketing director for the State of New
Mexico; her contributions to the city and state were widely
appreciated, and her honors included the official proclamation of
Diane Baker Day by the mayor of Santa Fe; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Baker went on to establish the Convention and
Visitors Bureau for Huntington Beach, California, and in that role,
she coined the community's well-known moniker of "Surf City USA";
in the course of her outstanding career, she also developed the
Orange County Tourism Council, worked closely with executives and
staff from Disneyland, and became the first woman to hold a seat on
the board of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce; and
WHEREAS, Later in life, Ms. Baker moved to Amarillo to be
closer to her grandchildren, whom she cherished deeply; after
settling into her life as a Texan, she put her expertise to work as a
member of the Amarillo Convention and Visitors Bureau board, and
she was a congregant and elder at the First Presbyterian Church of
Amarillo; and
WHEREAS, Drawing on her exceptional energy and talents, Diane
Baker was a respected professional who tremendously benefited the
communities in which she lived, and she will forever be remembered
with admiration and affection by those she leaves behind; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas
Legislature, 2nd Called Session, hereby pay tribute to the memory
of Chalys Diane Baker and extend deepest sympathy to the members of
her family: to her daughters, Cheri Lynn Kofakis and her husband,
Jim Kofakis, Pamela Ann Mayfield and her husband, Charley Runkle,
and Karen Diane Price and her husband, Four Price; to her
grandchildren, Brooke Diane Reynolds and her husband, Fisher, Cody
Allen Barnhill and his fiancée, Madison Varney, Abigail Kathryn
Price, and Thomas Curry Price; and to her other relatives and
friends; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for her family and that when the Texas House of
Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Diane
Baker.
Price
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 75 was unanimously adopted by a rising
vote of the House on August 30, 2021.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House