Former state Rep. Garnet Coleman, a longtime Houston lawmaker who championed healthcare access and fought displacement in Third Ward, will be remembered at a funeral and visitation Friday.
Coleman, a Democrat, represented part of Houston in the Texas House from 1991 to 2022, where he was a leading voice on healthcare and housing issues. He died at age 65 last month. Severe diabetes complications contributed to his decision to leave the Legislature in 2022.
Visitation is scheduled for 10 a.m. Friday at Christ Church Cathedral in downtown Houston, followed by the funeral service at 11 a.m.
Coleman spent more than 30 years in the Texas House, where he became a passionate advocate for healthcare access and a force behind efforts to preserve affordable housing in Houston’s historically Black neighborhoods. His work helped shape policies and projects that continue to affect Texans today, particularly in Third Ward.
The Coleman family asked that “he be remembered for his service, dedication to his family, and never-ending passion for uplifting all Texans,” saying, “His work reflected a sustained commitment to people too often left without access to care or opportunity.”
Coleman grew up in a prominent Black family in Third Ward and went on to represent his home neighborhood as well as parts of downtown Houston, Midtown, Montrose and the Hobby Airport area. He was a passionate advocate for the effects of gentrification in Houston’s low-income communities and would often take staffers on multi-day tours of Third Ward.
Coleman passed numerous bills related to local economic development districts and worked closely with the boards in his area, including the Fourth Ward and Midtown redevelopment authorities.
Coleman also dedicated his years of public service to fighting for access to healthcare. The Obama administration selected Coleman to co-lead a 32-member working group of state lawmakers who helped Congress develop and pass the Affordable Care Act.