2023S0385-1 04/21/23
By: West S.R. No. 456
SENATE RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas honors and
commemorates the life of Ruth Laverne Wells Wyrick, who died on
April 14, 2023, at the age of 88; and
WHEREAS, A fourth-generation Texan, Ruth Laverne Wells was
born on September 29, 1934, in Waco; she attended the segregated
A. J. Moore High School and went on to graduate from Southwestern
Christian College in Terrell; she moved to Dallas, where she met
and married Ernest "Deacon" Wyrick, and they settled in Oak Cliff
and shared 59 years of marriage; they were blessed with two
children, Narleski and Natesha; and
WHEREAS, A woman of strong Christian faith, Ruth was a
courageous and determined person who was firm in her principles,
and she was guided by her faith in her daily life; she enrolled
her children in private elementary and high schools, and her son
attended Dallas Christian School in 1968 when the school had not
yet been desegregated; when the school was relocated, Ruth joined
other parents in establishing Christian Academy of Oak Cliff,
where she served as a member of the Parent Teacher Organization
and the Ladies Auxiliary for Christian Education; and
WHEREAS, Ruth and Deacon were faithful members of Marsalis
Avenue Church of Christ in Oak Cliff, where Ruth taught Bible
classes, volunteered as a youth counselor, and supported her
church members as a companion in prayer; she also volunteered
with Lifeline Chaplaincy through Marsalis, and she supported her
husband in his many church responsibilities as well as in their
work with the National Youth Conference of the Churches of
Christ; and
WHEREAS, Ruth was instrumental in creating the Mr. and
Miss National Youth Conference Pageant, one of the most esteemed
activities for youth across the brotherhood; active in the Dallas
chapter of Southwestern Christian College's alumni association,
Ruth raised close to $1.5 million over the past 25 years, and she
won numerous awards for her outstanding service, including
receiving an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters in 2012; and
WHEREAS, A mentor to church leaders and ministers and a
believer in the power of political activism, Ruth held various
leadership positions and served her community as chair of the
City of Dallas Martin Luther King Jr. Board; she served as
Democratic Precinct Chair for 50 years and as a Dallas County
election judge for local and state elections, and she attended
the Texas Democratic Convention for 40 years; she was an
influential and charismatic woman whose political endorsements
could inspire multitudes to turn out and support first-time
candidates; and
WHEREAS, In addition to her spiritual and political
activities, Ruth worked for the Dallas Independent School
District for more than 20 years until her retirement in 2009;
above all else, she was a loving wife and mother and a devoted
grandmother to her five grandsons; Ruth gave unselfishly to
others, and her kindness, her passion, and her generous spirit
will long be remembered by all who were blessed to share in her
life; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 88th
Legislature, hereby extend sincere condolences to the bereaved
family of Ruth Laverne Wells Wyrick; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for
her family as an expression of deepest sympathy from the Texas
Senate and that when the Senate adjourns this day, it do so in
memory of Ruth Wells Wyrick.