Genevieve Tarlton Hearon

In a family of legends, Genevieve Constance Tarlton Hearon left her own indelible mark. Born in Corpus Christi, Texas on March 8, 1932, to Benjamin Dudley Tarlton, Jr. and Catherine “Catty” Bluntzer Tarlton, she passed away at the age of 91 on December 17, 2023, after a lengthy decline from dementia. She was one of the last of her generation and the embodiment of Southern grace, but with a love of life that always made her quick to smile and laugh out loud.

As a debutante, cheerleader, Queen of the Court of Fantasia at the 1955 Buccaneer Ball, and voted most likely to succeed in her sophomore class, Genevieve seemed destined to follow in the footsteps of her venerable Texas pioneer lineage. After all, her grandfather was a judge who served in the Texas Legislature and was a revered UT Law professor, her father was a successful South Texas lawyer, and her older sister was state legislator Frances “Sissy” Farenthold who twice ran for governor and was nominated to be George McGovern’s vice presidential running mate in 1972. Genevieve’s life, however, took her in another direction.

After graduating from Corpus Christi High School in 1949, Genevieve earned a Bachelor of Arts degree at Manhattanville College in New York in 1954. She obtained a Teaching Certificate in 1956 and taught in a variety of positions in Waco, Houston, and Washington D.C. before earning a Master in Education from the University of Texas at Austin in 1959.

A lifelong learner, Genevieve was committed to lifting others up through education. She founded Lilliput Schoolhouse, engaged in the development of Montessori pre-school programs throughout Corpus Christi, and served as a migrant education consultant for the Texas Education Agency. This experience led her to work as a legislative aide at the State Capitol where she researched education, prison, and health issues for Senators Chet Brooks and H. Tati Santiesteban. The knowledge and experience she gained in these positions provided an instrumental foundation for her future advocacy work.

As a young wife and mother Genevieve faced more than the ordinary challenges of caring for a family of four children. Her son, Burney Alexander, was born with severe physical and mental disabilities that led to his premature death at age eighteen, while her daughter, Alys “Gemee” Alexander, was diagnosed with schizophrenia when she was sixteen. Burney and Gemee’s mental health challenges marked a turning point in Genevieve’s life.

In a time when many families were ashamed or embarrassed to speak out, Genevieve was neither cowed nor embittered. Instead, she became a one-woman powerhouse intent on implementing change through tireless advocacy and community activism from the grassroots level all the way to the White House.

Genevieve’s name soon became synonymous with mental health advocacy. Using her dining table as a command center, Genevieve spearheaded the formation of both the Texas Alliance for the Mentally Ill and the Austin Alliance for the Mentally Ill. She founded Capacity for Justice which advocates for the fair judicial treatment of criminal offenders with mental disabilities through accurate evaluations of competence. She created and led training on legal and programmatic forensic practices. She promoted public awareness and consumer rights. In short, she was a tireless champion for those unable to defend themselves.

In 1991 Governor Ann Richards appointed Genevieve to the Texas Planning Council for Developmental Disabilities, and she served in that role until 2001. Lieutenant Governor Bob Bullock also appointed her to the Interagency Council on Intellectual Disabilities and Intermediate Care Facilities in 1991, and in 1995 the Travis County Commissioners Court appointed Genevieve to the Austin Travis County Integral Care Board of Trustees where she served for 15 years, including a term as board chair. She was also an active board member of the New Milestones Foundation for many years. She also served as an officer of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill from 1989 – 1995, and was part of the National Coalition on Mental and Substance Abuse Health Care in the Criminal Justice System.

Genevieve’s unyielding principles, tireless persistence, unbounded energy, and utmost caring

earned her innumerable awards, among them the Mental Health Pioneer Award from New Milestones Foundation in 2011, a Lifetime Achievement for Volunteer Leadership Award from the National Council for Community Behavior Healthcare in 2009, the Frank M. Adams Outstanding Volunteer Award from the Texas Council of MHMR Community Centers in 2003, the Mary Holdsworth Butt Award from the Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation in 1996, the National Patriots Award from the President’s Committee on the Employment of Disabled People in 1993, the State Advocacy Award from the National Alliance on Mental Illness in 1987, and many others. One need only drive by the building dedicated in Genevieve’s honor at 403 East 15th Street in Austin, Texas to be reminded of the lasting impact of her life’s work.

She was a fighter formed in the crucible of hard experience. Where others would be resentful, Genevieve smiled through it all. In the words of William L. Watkinson, it is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness. Genevieve’s glow has warmed the world, and for that we will always love her.

Genevieve is preceded in death by her husband Robert J. Hearon, Jr. She is survived by her children Tarlton (and Mike) Gaun, Paul (and Marquette) Reddam, and Anne Rambo (and Irv) Rosenbaum, Reed Hearon, her grandchildren Ben and Abigail Gaun, Ellis and Linden Reddam, and Rachel Rambo Sterna, and numerous extended family members.

The family will receive friends at a visitation from 4 pm to 7 pm on Wednesday, January 10, 2024, at the Weed Corley Fish Funeral Home at 5416 Parkcrest Drive; Austin, Texas. A Funeral Mass will be conducted at 10 am on Thursday, January 11, at St. John Neumann Catholic Church, 5455 Bee Cave Rd, Westlake Hills, Texas, followed immediately with a goodbye celebration at the church.

For those desiring, you can continue Genevieve’s legacy with a contribution to Capacity for Justice or Travis County Integral Care.