The Text Message That Became a Eulogy: Remembering Officer Richard Houston

On this episode of Our American Stories, when 18-year-old Shelby Houston prepared to preach for the first time, her father sent her a reassuring text. Hours later, Richard Houston, a 21-year veteran of the Mesquite Police Department, was shot and killed while responding to a domestic disturbance call. At his memorial service, Shelby delivered a moving eulogy—one that reflected her father’s faith, character, and courage. Here's the audio of that eulogy.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:29):
And we continue with our American stories. Shelby Houston was
getting ready to preach at her church for the first
time back in December of twenty twenty one. She was
as nervous as any sensible eighteen year old girl would
be about such a thing. Her father, Richard Houston, the

(00:49):
twenty one year veteran of Mesquite, Texas's police department, did
what good fathers do. He sent her a reassuring text.
Not long after that text was sent, Shelby's dad responded
to a domestic disturbance call in a parking lot outside
in Albertson's grocery store. When he arrived, a married couple

(01:11):
were fighting over an alleged affair. When Euston tried to
calm the situation, as he'd done time and time before,
the married man shot him in the chest, then shot
himself in the head. Euston died, his assailant survived. Americans
don't know Euston's name, but we should. His life was

(01:35):
a testimony to the hundreds of thousands of men and
women in blue who protect us from harm. At the
memorial service at Lake Point Church in Rockwell, Shelby, Euston's
oldest daughter, who was one of three people to speak
at her father's funeral. She was preceded by Mesquite Chief
of Police David Gill and Assistant Chief Doug Yates. Here

(01:59):
is how Shell we started her eulogy, describing that text
or Dad's center, not knowing his life would soon end.

Speaker 2 (02:09):
And there's so much I want to say about my dad,
but I would have to stand up here forever to
do that. I'm sure I had to find all the
perfect words and to formulate all the right thoughts for this.
But as I got up to preach last Wednesday, for
the first time ever, my dad sent me this text.

(02:30):
He said, sometimes it feels overwhelming, but I'm here to
tell you everything will be okay. You got this, Remember that,
no matter what, me and your mom got your back
always and forever. Have fun tonight, speak from your heart
and don't look back. You will do great. I know

(02:51):
you will, no doubt I love you. I don't think
he knew that this text would actually mean more than
just another one night for me. It would actually be
the text that would send me in to speaking at
his funeral a few days later.

Speaker 1 (03:09):
Shelby somehow kept her composure and she just kept going.

Speaker 2 (03:15):
I know many of you knew my father as an officer.
He may have seen him in his uniform with a
badge and a squad car, But I saw my dad
in a different fashion, always in his plaid pajama pants,
book in hand and his silver Ford F one point fifty.
Home has felt lonely without him here. I keep waiting

(03:39):
for him to pull up in the driveway, to come
inside and tell us about some crazy car chase he
got into, or maybe even how terrible the seven eleven
tiketos were for lunch. You never knew. It was always
a surprise what he had gotten into that day. However,

(04:00):
there was no heavier surprise than to receive a call
that your dad had been shut and killed. It will
be a day I never forget.

Speaker 1 (04:10):
Shelby then shared some personal stories, stories that reflected her
dad's nature and character. Is a man and is a dad.

Speaker 2 (04:20):
There are plenty stories of his time spent as an officer,
But there was another side of him that I had
the privilege of knowing as my dad. He was goofy,
incredibly too sarcastic. There was always a joke up his sleeve.
There was never a volleyball, baseball or football game he
was going to miss. Never a band competition he'd miss either,

(04:44):
not for me or my siblings. He was our biggest fan,
on and off the court and field. He encouraged me,
pushed me, and supported every decision I made.

Speaker 1 (04:56):
What happened next in what Shall be Shared with friends, family, neighbors,
and members of her church congregation was a remarkable testimony
to her faith, which she'd learned from her father. Like
her father's example, her words were a reflection of God's
grace and mercy here on earth.

Speaker 2 (05:16):
I remember having conversations with my dad about him losing
friends and officers in the line of duty. I have
heard all the stories you can think of, but I've
always had such a hard time with how the suspect
is dealt with. Not that I didn't think there should
be justice served, but my heart always ached for those

(05:37):
who don't know Jesus, their actions being reflection of that.
I was always told that I would feel differently if
it happened to me, but as it's happened to my
own father, I think I still feel the same. There
husband anger, sadness, grief and confusion, and part of me

(05:58):
wishes I could despise as the man who did this
to my father. But I can't get any of any
part of my heart to hate him. Oh that I
can find as myself hoping and praying for this man
to truly know Jesus.

Speaker 1 (06:14):
Shelby, at life's darkest hour, was thinking not about the
soul of her father, she knew he was in heaven,
but about the soul of the man who took her
father's life. Shelby, valiantly holding back tears, brought things back
to the man she so loved and who so loved her.

Speaker 2 (06:34):
There was still a lot of life I was looking
forward to spinning with him. Eighteen years with you, Daddy,
was just not enough. Time. You were faithful, steadfast, kind, loving,
selfless and hard working. On December third, you were silenced.

(06:57):
But you will forever live on in my heart today
and all the days to come. I don't do anything
in the world to see you again, to laugh with
you again, to watch your terrible dance moves, to listen
to another joke, to practice volleyball with you, to watch

(07:18):
birds with you again, to catch one more fish, to
wrestle one more time, to hug you again, to hear
your voice at last in my deepest wound. I saw
the glory of Jesus and it has astounded me. You're

(07:38):
my hero, daddy, and I'm so proud to call you
my father. I love you most and I'll see you
some day soon.

Speaker 1 (08:02):
Houston received many commendations in his twenty one years on
the job, serving and protecting his community forty eight to
be precise. He also had two Life Saving Awards in
his career. There were also multiple incidents where he was
able to talk down suspects, including a man attempting suicide.

(08:24):
But Euston's greatest work, his most important work, he saved
for his family and his God. His daughter's eulogy was
the fruit, the proof of a life well lived, a
life of faith beautifully walked the story of Richard Houston,
the story of so many fallen soldiers and their families.

(08:46):
Here on our American stories as everything that has desen

(09:07):
because the