Garnet Fredrick Coleman was the third child born to John Brady Coleman and Gloria Letitia Jones Coleman on September 8, 1961, at the Howard University Freedmen’s Hospital in Washington, D.C. The Colemans lived near the Howard University campus, where Dr. Coleman was completing his residency, and near the area where Gloria Coleman grew up. The family attended St. George’s Episcopal Church; all three children, Kathleen Letitia, John Brady, Jr., and Garnet, were baptized there. Upon concluding his residency, Dr. Coleman brought his family, including his 10-month-old baby boy, Garnet, to his hometown of Houston. They lived on McGowen when they first arrived in Houston, then moved to Ewing Street in the Third Ward and joined St. James Episcopal Church. The neighborhood quickly became a place Garnet would grow to love and serve throughout his life.

The young Garnet attended St. Anne’s Catholic School through eighth-grade graduation. In high school, he was very proud of his placements in track and field and swimming at league competitions, and he graduated from Bellaire High School in the Class of 1979. The Coleman parents always encouraged their daughter and sons to consistently explore employment opportunities while keeping educational goals at the forefront. During high school, the enterprising Garnet worked as a DJ and concessionaire operator. His energy and drive foreshadowed an entrepreneurial spirit that later emerged as the proprietor of Fredrick’s Beer and Wine Bar. Garnet was always working and exploring innovative ways to serve and support his community.

As the son of a physician, Garnet and his siblings accompanied their parents to National Medical Association (NMA) conventions each summer. At the 1975 Miami, Florida convention, Garnet met Angelique Feaster, the daughter of another physician family with a similar NMA tradition. In 1977, Garnet and Angelique crossed paths again at the NMA Convention in Los Angeles, CA. They maintained communication and visits for a while, but over time their correspondence diminished. By a remarkable coincidence, Garnet and Angelique both enrolled at Howard University in 1979, the alma mater of Garnet's and Angelique’s fathers' medical school and of Angelique’s mother’s and sister’s undergraduate school, and their romance blossomed again. In the summer of 1983, Garnet surprised Angelique with a visit to her home in Los Angeles to formally announce their engagement. While Angelique’s parents were in on the plan, their family dog was not. Amid the excitement, the dog misinterpreted an enthusiastic hug and bit Garnet on the back. Angelique’s father took him to his office for a couple of stitches, and despite the unexpected mishap, the engagement remained a joyful and memorable occasion.

On July 14, 1984, Garnet and Angelique were wed at St. Bernadette Catholic Church in Los Angeles, CA. The newly married couple established a home in Houston’s Third Ward and were blessed with two children, Garnet Austin Coleman and Evan Angelique Coleman. Raising Austin and Evan was the center of family life. The working Coleman parents delicately coordinated job schedules with their kids’ school activities—all while sharing them with grandparents and taking them on extended-family trips to their California relatives. The parents never missed Austin’s music performances or Evan’s photography showings. Garnet’s love nurtured and encouraged.

Garnet was determined to fulfill the educational goals inspired by his parents. He enrolled in several institutions, exploring his academic interests at each. Although he faced challenges of balancing his employment with classes, he was undeterred from his target. Garnet’s undergraduate journey reflected the high priority he placed on education and his belief that scholastic achievement helped mold and serve as a strong foundation for an individual’s future. In 1990, Garnet received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Saint Thomas. Curious, driven, and committed to lifelong learning. Garnet also completed the following Harvard Kennedy Executive Programs: Senior Executives in State and Local Government, Leadership Without Easy Answers, Negotiations, in conjunction with Harvard Business School, and Understanding the New World of Health Care, jointly with Harvard Medical School.

For the remaining decades of his life, Garnet’s speeches to youth, support of internship programs, and efforts to fund education would reflect his passionate devotion to academic attainment. In 1991, he founded Operation S.M.A.R.T., a nonprofit educational program to provide mentors and role models to Houston students and their families. Operation S.M.A.R.T. is an acronym for (S) Shadowing, (M) Motivation (A) Assistance (R) Resources (T) Teamwork. Garnet’s vision was that strategic direction was necessary for success.

That same year, Garnet was elected in a runoff to serve as the Texas State Representative for a seat left vacant by the passing of Representative Larry Q. Evans. Once in the Texas Capitol, he was “a fierce warrior for his district, working across the aisle countless times” to pass policy improvements and fund construction at the University of Houston, Texas Southern University, the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, and Prairie View A&M University. His leadership led to the creation of both the University of Houston Hobby School of Public Affairs and the Texas Southern University Barbara Jordan-Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs. Public service was a calling for him.

Garnet was well known for his intricate knowledge of healthcare policy. In addition to his countless bills and amendments, there are millions of children that have been covered by health insurance in Texas over the last three decades because of his work simplifying Children’s Medicaid and creating the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) in Texas. He was an early pioneer in fighting to increase funding for HIV/AIDS treatment and mental health services. As Chair of the House Committee on County Affairs, Garnet was proud to advocate for local interests in all of Texas’ two hundred fifty-four counties – rural, suburban, and urban - including for the creation of local hospital districts throughout the state. In typical fashion, Garnet was always eager to use this position of power to help his fellow lawmakers in both parties meet the special needs of their own districts. A natural teacher, Garnet took great pride in seeing members who had served on his committee go on to become excellent committee chairs themselves.

Of his legislative accomplishments, Garnet was perhaps most proud of the passage of the Sandra Bland Act, a foundational criminal justice reform victory near the conclusion of his legislative career that mandates mental-health diversion, jail safety improvements, de-escalation training, and stronger reporting requirements for law enforcement in Texas. It was signed into law by Governor Abbott in 2017.

Garnet was extremely proud of his extensive legislative accomplishments and legacy. However, he said that his greatest career legacy was not legislative; it was the people he mentored. In his staff and fellow lawmakers, he cultivated and passed on the knowledge, judgment, and skill to turn a commitment to helping others into the ability to do so effectively. Those hundreds of former colleagues and former staff are spread across the state and the country, leveraging his wisdom into changing public policy for the better each and every day.