BILL JORDAN & FAMILY
LEGACY HLSR board member Bill Jordan, with his wife Teresa and their son Cameron, are building a Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo legacy. (Photo: lawellphoto.com)
Will Jordan
Teresa and Bill Jordan of Bellaire are building a different brand of Rodeo legacy. Teresa, managing counsel for Cigna Health, and Bill, president of Bayou Banks Classic Homes, have both been HLSR members for the past 15 years. The couple serves on no fewer than 10 committees between them. Bill also sits on the board of directors. It is a degree of extraordinary devotion that became more resolute in the wake of the Jordan family’s darkest day.
“He went to sleep, and he woke up in heaven,” said Teresa of her son William.
On March 3, 2009, the 16-year-old Lutheran High North sophomore and rookie JRC member suffered a fatal seizure. He was a smart, outgoing and talented athlete who loved everything about the Rodeo. He begged his mom to make every connection she could so he could get on JRC as soon as he was eligible.
“My son’s funeral was during opening week of the show. There were 1,200 people at St. Michael’s Catholic Church. It was standing room only. I never realized I knew that many people until I looked around that room, and that church was full of Rodeo people.”
Fellow volunteers wore black bands on their badges. People the Jordans had never met offered comfort and support. Teresa says the outreach provided the tonic she needed to endure, and her work at the rodeo offered a precious avenue for filling the void left by heartbreaking loss. She joined the Jr. Rodeo committee that same week. Driven by their son’s love of the Rodeo, the Jordans’ ongoing involvement has grown into something bigger than either could have imagined.
“Bill and I were trying to think what we could do. Our son’s love of the show was as strong as ours. We wanted to do something that would continue his memory in a very everlasting way but continue to have an impact. So we started the William Lewis Jordan IV Memorial Endowment. We do scholarships through that every year, and it enables Will to continue to touch and will continue to touch someone’s life in a very meaningful way.”
Will Jordan, who passed away at 16, will forever be part of the Rodeo family. Will’s family created an endowment in his name that awards an annual $20,000 scholarship.
The endowment started at $60,000 and funds a $20,000 scholarship each year. Well on its way to becoming a self-fulfilling endowment through continued contributions, the fund has awarded eight scholarships in her son’s name – eight names that Teresa knows off the top of her head. Her home is decorated with the students’ pictures.
“It’s the funnest day of the year to go to that scholarship banquet, and you meet your scholarship student and their family. They’re studying biomedical engineering or geophysics. One of these kids is going to come up with a cure for cancer one day, and our son, Will, and our family will have been a part of that child’s journey. How cool is that!”
Their youngest son, Cameron, is also a former member of the JRC. The now-23 year old currently is a member of the Sheep and Goat committee, his commitment unwavering even though he goes to college in San Antonio. He comes back for meetings and spends Spring Break and holidays getting in his volunteer hours. (Volunteer requirements range from committee to committee, but most require attending at least 3-4 meetings a year and working several long shifts during the Rodeo.)
“I feel a responsibility to give back especially after how involved my family is,” said Cameron. “I will always be part of the Rodeo. I'm proud of my parents for what they have done and keeping my brother's memory alive. He was not only my brother but my friend and a great person, and it’s special that he can continue to touch many more lives.”
“It’s something that we do as a family,” said Teresa. “We all have that connection. It’s a strong legacy we’re building, and we hope this endowment will still be around long after Bill and I are gone.”
HLSR will award more than $26.7 million to support education this year. Since 1932, $450 million has been awarded. Currently, more than 2,000 students are on Rodeo scholarships.
BY MICHELLE CASAS GROOGAN
THE BUZZ MAGAZINE (LINK TO BUZZ MAG ARTICLE)
“He went to sleep, and he woke up in heaven,” said Teresa of her son William.
On March 3, 2009, the 16-year-old Lutheran High North sophomore and rookie JRC member suffered a fatal seizure. He was a smart, outgoing and talented athlete who loved everything about the Rodeo. He begged his mom to make every connection she could so he could get on JRC as soon as he was eligible.
“My son’s funeral was during opening week of the show. There were 1,200 people at St. Michael’s Catholic Church. It was standing room only. I never realized I knew that many people until I looked around that room, and that church was full of Rodeo people.”
Fellow volunteers wore black bands on their badges. People the Jordans had never met offered comfort and support. Teresa says the outreach provided the tonic she needed to endure, and her work at the rodeo offered a precious avenue for filling the void left by heartbreaking loss. She joined the Jr. Rodeo committee that same week. Driven by their son’s love of the Rodeo, the Jordans’ ongoing involvement has grown into something bigger than either could have imagined.
“Bill and I were trying to think what we could do. Our son’s love of the show was as strong as ours. We wanted to do something that would continue his memory in a very everlasting way but continue to have an impact. So we started the William Lewis Jordan IV Memorial Endowment. We do scholarships through that every year, and it enables Will to continue to touch and will continue to touch someone’s life in a very meaningful way.”
Will Jordan, who passed away at 16, will forever be part of the Rodeo family. Will’s family created an endowment in his name that awards an annual $20,000 scholarship.
The endowment started at $60,000 and funds a $20,000 scholarship each year. Well on its way to becoming a self-fulfilling endowment through continued contributions, the fund has awarded eight scholarships in her son’s name – eight names that Teresa knows off the top of her head. Her home is decorated with the students’ pictures.
“It’s the funnest day of the year to go to that scholarship banquet, and you meet your scholarship student and their family. They’re studying biomedical engineering or geophysics. One of these kids is going to come up with a cure for cancer one day, and our son, Will, and our family will have been a part of that child’s journey. How cool is that!”
Their youngest son, Cameron, is also a former member of the JRC. The now-23 year old currently is a member of the Sheep and Goat committee, his commitment unwavering even though he goes to college in San Antonio. He comes back for meetings and spends Spring Break and holidays getting in his volunteer hours. (Volunteer requirements range from committee to committee, but most require attending at least 3-4 meetings a year and working several long shifts during the Rodeo.)
“I feel a responsibility to give back especially after how involved my family is,” said Cameron. “I will always be part of the Rodeo. I'm proud of my parents for what they have done and keeping my brother's memory alive. He was not only my brother but my friend and a great person, and it’s special that he can continue to touch many more lives.”
“It’s something that we do as a family,” said Teresa. “We all have that connection. It’s a strong legacy we’re building, and we hope this endowment will still be around long after Bill and I are gone.”
HLSR will award more than $26.7 million to support education this year. Since 1932, $450 million has been awarded. Currently, more than 2,000 students are on Rodeo scholarships.
BY MICHELLE CASAS GROOGAN
THE BUZZ MAGAZINE (LINK TO BUZZ MAG ARTICLE)
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