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"A collaborative political resource." |
Joe Roach, 1961-2011; Former councilman left his mark on Houston
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| Contributor | RBH |
| Last Edited | RBH May 28, 2011 03:47am |
| Category | Obituary |
| News Date | Apr 18, 2011 03:00am |
| Description | Joe Roach, a former prosecutor, three-term city councilman and fervid advocate for people with disabilities, died Monday of an undisclosed illness. He was 49.
A Clear Lake-area Republican, Roach — a one-time chief prosecutor with the Harris County District Attorney's Office — leaped onto the local political scene by defeating 30-year-incumbent City Councilman Frank Mancuso.
Roach served on the council from 1994-2000, flirting with a possible mayoral bid before returning to private life and a career as a defense lawyer.
Born Jones W. Roach Jr., a name he eschewed for the more familiar "Joe," Roach, a dwarf, was a champion for people with disabilities.
"I think his City Council legacy and his national legacy was that he was the most powerful little person ever to serve in public office in the U.S.," said council colleague and friend Rob Todd. "He showed that typical Houston spirit — that it's not what you're born with, but what you do with yourself and how hard you fight that counts." |
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