House Concurrent Resolution 49

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION MOURNING THE LOSS AND COMMENDING THE LIFE AND DISTINGUISHED LEGACY OF ESTEEMED PUBLIC SERVICE OF THE HONORABLE JUDGE HOUSTON J. PATTON AND EXPRESSING DEEPEST SYMPATHY TO HIS FAMILY AND FRIENDS UPON HIS PASSING.

WHEREAS, it is written in II Corinthians 4:17-18, "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal," and as such, the immaculate author and finisher of our soul's destiny summoned the mortal presence of dearly beloved, Honorable Judge Houston J. Patton, to rest eternally, on Monday, January 13, 2020, as he has made life's final transition from earthly travailing to heavenly reward, rendering great sorrow and loss to his family and friends; and

WHEREAS, the State of Mississippi, and more particularly the entirety of Hinds County, lost his dedicated and zealous service as a barrister, arbiter and magistrate of the law with the passing of Judge Patton, the youngest of seven children born to the union of Mrs. Grace Walker Patton and Mr. Houston Patton, on April 1, 1935, in the rural Rankin County community of Pelahatchie, Mississippi, and there is now a hush in our hearts as we come together to pay our respects to the memory of one who has been called to join that innumerable heavenly caravan to the glory foretold in Romans 8:20-21, "For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God"; and

WHEREAS, a possessor of innate intellect, an eager "Jack," as he was affectionately called, was ambitious to start school even before he was eligible to enroll, and often stole away behind his older brothers and sisters to sit in the first grade class and assist other children in learning to read since he possessed the ability to do so long before entering first grade himself; and

WHEREAS, relocating to Canton subsequent to the passing of his father, the Patton Family would eventually make their permanent home in Tougaloo Village on the outskirts of Jackson, where he would attend the Daniel Hand Preparatory School before graduating third in his class from Tougaloo High School in 1955, where he was molded with invaluable life lessons and forged lifelong friendships; and

WHEREAS, in 1957, Judge Patton would answer the call to patriot arms in defense of the stars and banners of democracy when he enlisted in the United States Army at the urging of his oldest brother, Luther, and served as a medic for two years before joining his siblings in Tuskegee, Alabama, and then Chicago, Illinois, where he worked as a bus driver for the Chicago Transit Authority, before the roaring winds of the "Windy City" encouraged him to seek climate refuge afforded in the warmth of Fresno, California, where he would pursue postsecondary matriculation at Fresno State University, earning a bachelor of arts degree in radio, television and film in 1962, and cross the burning sands of Greek affiliation upon his induction as a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.; and

WHEREAS, as fate would lend itself to being built in accordance with the blueprint divinely designed for the pattern of his life by the Great Deity and grand architect of our lives' destiny, a trip home to spend the Christmas and New Year holidays with his mother in December 1965, proved to be one of the greatest gifts he could have ever given himself, as he would meet the love of his life in the likes of the beautiful and genteel Johnnie Pearl Lee, whose heart won Judge Patton's love, chivalry and affection, and the duo became bone of one another's bone and flesh of one another's flesh after exchanging the nuptials of holy matrimony in June, 1966, and embarked upon a journey together in a life of awareness as social and civic activists and staunch champions of academia, the tenets of which they embedded in the lineal fabric of their three children, April, Harold and Portia; and

WHEREAS, initially commencing his professional career as an area administrator with the Child Development Group of Mississippi, assisting communities with receiving federal funding for programs such as Head Start, to help people who need a hand-up, Patton would later gain employment at WJTV in the sector for which he had worked so diligently to receive his degree, before having the epiphany that he could be of better service to more people by pursing a career in the legal profession; and

WHEREAS, this time without the insistence of an older sibling, simply his own renewed sense of purpose and the reminder that he now had a family of his own to provide for, "Jack" enrolled in the Southern University Law School and graduated in 1972, returning to his beloved Jackson to practice law as a Staff Attorney and Deputy Director with Community Legal Services from 1973 to 1979, which ultimately led him to aid in the formation of the private law group of Page, Patton and Mayo from 1979 to 1983, before he ventured out upon his own, to hang up his shingle as a solo practitioner from 1983 to 1989; and

WHEREAS, still compelled to do greater work for as many people as he could possibly impact, a key character trait that was instilled in him not only by his parents and siblings, but also while a student on the historic Spanish moss covered tree canopy of Tougaloo College, Judge Patton answered the call to a more profound measure of duty in public service, and sought and was successfully elected to serve as Hinds County Senior Court Judge, a post he held for 26 years from 1989 to 2015; and

WHEREAS, having gained the respect of his peers and colleagues as both a clients' advocate and judicial officer, his ethical morale, character and rapport precedes him in the legal and civic communities, as evidenced by his lengthy list of accomplishments, accolades as a Senior Court Judge are all the products of his labor of love, including the management of the Youth Detention Center, which he valued as instrumental to ensure the children would learn in an environment that was not always conducive for learning, and served as his driving force to stress the importance of having strong male influences in the lives of young men, whether mentoring at the Youth Detention Center, working with Save Our Sons, or simply reading at an elementary school; and

WHEREAS, adamantly vigorous in his efforts of giving back to the community through social, civic and charitable organizations, Judge Patton was a member of The Mississippi Bar Association, Magnolia Bar Association, and a very dedicated President of the Daniel Hand School Reunion; and

WHEREAS, a gentleman and scholar of profound faith, Judge Patton's early confession of faith and subsequent baptism as a young child in Pelahatchie, sustained his kingdom relationship throughout the entirety of his life, as a man who like King David, sought the very heart of God through his thoughts, words and deeds, as a member of the Holy Family Church, he was instrumental in revising the bylaws of the Parish Council that were an asset to the operation of the committee; and

WHEREAS, cognizant of the words recorded in I John 3:2, "Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is," Judge Patton, through his zealous commitment to the people and causes dear to his heart, strove diligently to exemplify a Christ-like walk before his family and friends; and

WHEREAS, though he has traversed life's river to now stand upon the celestial shores in wonderment of Heaven's grandeur in glorious reunion with the kindred spirits who transitioned before him, including his parents, his beloved daughter, Portia; brother, Luther; and sisters Olivia and Vivian, the legacy of Judge Patton's indelible imprint upon our lives will continue to refresh the hearts and fond memories of his beloved survivors: devoted wife of 53 years, Johnnie Lee Patton; children, April and Harold Patton (Lori); grandchild, Hannah Patton; sisters, Essie Brown and Ella Marcus; brother, Ernest Patton; and a host of nieces and nephews, other relatives, colleagues and friends; and

WHEREAS, we encourage the Patton family to find solace from the overwhelming sting of grief in the words recorded in II Corinthians 1:3-4, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God."; and

WHEREAS, it is the policy of this Legislature to commend the remarkable career, public service and monumental life of a genuine and selfless individual of equally remarkable, fair and knowledgeable talent as Judge Patton, who was zealous in his efforts of promoting and upholding the pristine principals of justice and providing an intellectual interpretation of the laws of the State of Mississippi to maximize the benefits and protection of its citizens, and illuminating the path of hope and change for all he encountered along this earthly sojourn:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE SENATE CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby mourn the loss and commemorate the life and distinguished legacy of public service of the Honorable Judge Houston J. Patton, to whose family we express sincere and deepest sympathy upon his passing.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be furnished to the family of Honorable Judge Houston J. Patton and to the members of the Capitol Press Corps.