89R14296 BPG-D
By: Howard H.R. No. 310
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, A full and generous life drew to a close with the
passing of former state representative James Parker McCollough of
Austin on October 31, 2024, at the age of 74; and
WHEREAS, The son of J. C. McCollough and Norma Jim Cornett
McCollough, Parker McCollough was born in Amarillo on October 18,
1950, and he grew up with three sisters, Randa, Kay, and Gail; he
attended South Plains College on a track scholarship and
transferred to Texas Tech University, where he earned a bachelor's
degree in business and a law degree; during summers, he expanded his
horizons by working at the YMCA in Estes Park, Colorado, and selling
textbooks across the eastern United States; and
WHEREAS, Mr. McCollough joined a Georgetown law firm, and
while raising his two oldest children, he became involved in the
local community; he frequently worked on a pro bono basis and served
as a public defender and municipal judge; in addition, he refereed
high school football games and ran the clock at Southwestern
University basketball games; and
WHEREAS, In 1988, Mr. McCollough won election to the Texas
House of Representatives; he served as chair of the Criminal
Jurisprudence Committee and the Judicial Affairs Subcommittee on
Budget and Oversight, and he was a member of the Redistricting
Committee and the Task Force on State and Local Drug Control; having
developed a love of politics, public policy, and
relationship-building, he became a regulatory lobbyist following
his two terms in office; and
WHEREAS, Mr. McCollough met the former Rhonda Puls at the
State Capitol, and they married on June 23, 1991; the couple became
the proud parents of two children, and Mr. McCollough enjoyed
coaching Little League teams, instilling a reverence for the game
along with great enthusiasm; deeply patriotic, he always cried
while singing the national anthem and took each of his children to
witness the peaceful transition of power at a presidential
inauguration; he helped them register to vote and brought them to
the polls as well; above all, he taught them to enjoy life to the
fullest and enable others to do the same; his relationships and his
faith were informed by his profound commitment to Alcoholics
Anonymous, and he attended a men's meeting at a local church every
Saturday; during 22 years of sobriety, he served as a sponsor for
countless people, always making himself available to those who
needed his support; and
WHEREAS, Although Parker McCollough is greatly missed, those
who held him dear will forever remember the warmth and compassion
that he brought into their lives; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of the Honorable James
Parker McCollough and extend sincere sympathy to his loved ones: to
his wife, Rhonda McCollough; to his children, Cory (Jaime
Villanueva), James (Audra Sharifi Isfahani), Murphy (Kolton
McDougald), and Chandler (John Holt); to his grandchildren, Lucia,
Anna, CJ, and Coco; to his sisters, Kay (Terry Milligan) and Gail;
and to his many other relatives and friends; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of
Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Parker
McCollough.