NCRA members Shirley Mae Houston, FAPR, RPR, CLVS, Lifetime Retired, from Houston, Texas, and Linda C. Baker, FAPR, RPR, (Ret.), of Georgetown, Texas, recently passed away, as well as Bernice E. Radavich, RDR, CRR, CRC, a court reporter and CART provider from, Chicago, Illinois.
Houston, who was 85, passed away on Nov. 13. She was a member of the Texas Court Reporters Association (TCRA) for 56 years, during which she was the recipient of its 1987 Distinguished Service Award and the 1990 Texas Hall of Fame Award. Her husband, Tom, preceded her in death by a few months.
According to a memorial written by Lucile Wyatt, past president of TCRA, Baker served as the association’s president from 1984-1985 and as an NCRA Director from 1991-1994. She was named the Environmental All Star Reporter by NCRA in the 1990s.
Baker also won every TCRA spelling bee she entered and was the recipient of TCRA’s 1991 Distinguished Service Award and its 1990 Texas Hall of Fame Award.
Baker reported in Beaumont, Houston, Austin, and Midland/Odessa as well as across the country and around the world before retiring to Sun City in Georgetown, Texas. After breaking her back for the third time, Baker moved to Cambridge, Mass., to be closer to her son John and his family.
Baker, who had suffered from diabetes for many years, contracted COVID-19 and passed away in her sleep on Oct. 31. She is survived by her son, John Herring; her daughter-in-law, Jess Herring; and her 18-year-old granddaughter, Jordan Herring. Please contact Lucile Wyatt at Lucile.wyatt@gmail.com for more information or if you would like to connect with Baker’s children.
According to Radavich’s obituary, in addition to being a longtime court reporter and CART provider, she was a member of the National Court Reporters Association and Board member of the Illinois Court Reporters Association. She was also a long-time contestant in the national and state speed and realtime contests. Her death was reported as Nov. 28. Radavich was 70.
