March 8, 2019 - Issue: Vol. 165, No. 42 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 1st Session
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HONORING DR. FRANCIS GRAHAM; Congressional Record Vol. 165, No. 42
(House of Representatives - March 08, 2019)
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[Pages H2609-H2612] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] HONORING DR. FRANCIS GRAHAM The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of January 3, 2019, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Flores) is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader. Mr. FLORES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Dr. Francis Graham of Waco, Texas, who passed away on January 10, 2019. Frank was born on March 19, 1930, in Sparta, Wisconsin, to Francis Graham, Sr., and Theresa Snyder Graham. He was the second of nine children. In 1947, at the age of 16, Frank dropped out of high school and enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps. Frank later served in the U.S. Navy from 1950 to 1954 as a member of an underwater demolition team, a predecessor unit to the Navy SEALs. In 1955, Frank returned to the Army and served until 1971, when he retired as a sergeant major serving with the Special Forces. After he retired from the military, Frank decided to continue his education and obtained his doctorate in psychology at the University of Southern Mississippi in 1976. In 1982, Frank and his wife, Patricia, moved to Waco. For over 20 years, Frank practiced as a psychologist with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Frank was an active member of the local Special Forces chapter, the Woodway Veterans of Foreign Wars, and was the past president of both the local American Heart Association and the Italian Club of Waco. He was also involved with Saint Jerome's Catholic Church and was a Fourth Degree member of the Knights of Columbus. Frank had a variety of hobbies, including breeding horses for racing, traveling, reading, movies, having family and friends over for game night, and being a connoisseur of fine wines and food. Frank was also a member of my Military Service Academy Review Board, which assists in selecting candidates for nomination to our Nation's service academies. Mr. Speaker, Frank's life was defined by his service to his family, to our country, and to our community. He will be forever remembered as a husband, a father, a grandfather, a veteran, a selfless servant, and a great friend. My wife, Gina, and I offer our deepest and heartfelt condolences to the Graham family. We also lift up the family and friends of Frank Graham in our prayers. I have requested that a United States flag be flown over our Nation's Capitol to honor the life and legacy this humble servant. As I close today, I ask all Americans to continue praying for our country, for our military, for our veterans, and for our first responders who keep us safe at home. [[Page H2610]] Honoring Jack Restivo Mr. FLORES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Jack Restivo of Bryan, Texas, who passed away on March 1, 2019. Jack was born on July 17, 1925, in Bryan, Texas, to Andrew and Corrine Restivo. He was one of 11 children. Growing up in Bryan, he graduated from Stephen F. Austin High School and later attended Texas A&M University in College Station as a member of the class of 1946. In 1943, in the midst of World War II, Jack left Texas A&M to join the United States Army Air Corps, and he trained to be an aerial gunner. He was discharged in 1946 and, soon thereafter, met the love of his life, Mary Jo. They married in 1947, and Jack began his career in the insurance business in Bryan, Texas. In 1955, he was promoted and transferred to Waco. In Waco, Jack later founded A-1 Fire and Safety Equipment Company. He and his family continued to grow this company until Jack retired in 2000. Jack was active in supporting St. Louis Catholic Church and Reicher Catholic High School. Jack was on the school board of Reicher, and in 1986, he and Mary Jo received the Cougar Award for Excellence for their dedication to this school. Jack loved spending time with his family and friends, golfing, traveling with Mary Jo, and everything related to Texas A&M. He was a longtime season ticket holder for Texas A&M football, baseball, men's basketball, and women's basketball. He was a member of the Texas A&M Champions Council, the Texas A&M Foundation's Legacy Society, and an endowed member of the 12th Man Foundation. He also served on the executive committee of the 12th Man Foundation. Mr. Speaker, Jack's life was defined by his service to his family, to our country, to Texas A&M, and to our central Texas communities. He will be forever remembered as a husband; a father; a grandfather; a great-grandfather; a veteran; a mentor; a selfless servant; and a great, great friend. My wife, Gina, and I offer our deepest and heartfelt condolences to the Restivo family. We also lift up the family and friends of Jack Restivo in our prayers. I have requested that a United States flag be flown over our Nation's Capitol to honor the life and legacy of this humble servant. As I close today, I ask all Americans to continue praying for our country, for our military men and women who protect us abroad, for our first responders who protect us here at home, and for our veterans. Honoring John Paul Fritz Mr. FLORES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor John Paul Fritz of College Station, Texas, who passed away on January 8, 2019. John Paul was born on August 31, 1989, in Houston, Texas, to John Mark and Cathy Jane Fritz. He was the fourth of seven children. John Paul was known for his love of the outdoors, whether it was climbing trees and building forts, or bringing home animals like rabbits, turtles, frogs, and snakes. John Paul was initially homeschooled but later continued his education when he joined the United States Navy on November 9, 2009. In the Navy, John Paul attended Nuclear Field ``A'' School and Nuclear Power School. Upon completion of his training, he was selected as a junior staff instructor for the modifications and additions to a reactor facility prototype. In 2013, John Paul was stationed aboard the submarine USS Florida and completed missions that were vital to our national security. In 2017, he was selected to become an instrumentation and control equipment instructor, the final course for nuclear electronics technicians. It came as no surprise to anyone who knew John Paul that he was passionate about science, specifically chemistry and nuclear physics. This last year, during Christmas, John Paul returned home and built a heat shield out of several household items. He and his friends were trying to develop a new type of efficient rocket fuel, and they hoped to start a company once he retired from the Navy. John Paul was also known for his love of his family. He was engaged to be married this summer, and he dearly loved his daughter, Madeline Elizabeth Ann Fritz. Unfortunately, his time on this Earth was cut short way too early. Mr. Speaker, John Paul's life was defined by his service to his family and to our country. He will be forever remembered as a father, a sailor, a son, a brother, and a friend. My wife, Gina, and I offer our deepest and heartfelt condolences to the Fritz family. We also lift up the family and friends of John Paul Fritz in our prayers. I have requested that a United States flag be flown over our Nation's Capitol to honor the life and legacy of this young sailor. As I close today, I urge all Americans to continue praying for our country, for our veterans, for our military men and women who protect us, and for our first responders who keep us safe at home. Honoring Red Cashion Mr. FLORES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Red Cashion of College Station, Texas, who passed away on February 10, 2019. Red was born on November 10, 1931, in College Station on the Texas A&M University campus. His father was the secretary of the YMCA when it was housed on the campus, and Red welcomed many Aggies to campus by letting them ``rent'' his red wagon as they moved into the dorms. After graduating from A&M Consolidated High School in 1949, Red attended Texas A&M University on a baseball scholarship and graduated in May 1953. He was then commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Army. Red served in the Army for 4 years, working with the National Security Agency, primarily in Washington, D.C., and at Fort Meade. During the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1963, he was recalled to Washington, where he briefed President Kennedy on the ongoing situation with Cuba. In the 1960s and 1970s, Red raised his family in the Brazos Valley and started a business with his father-in-law and best friend. Together, they opened Burgess, Cashion & Haddox, which later became Anco Insurance. For many years, Red served as chairman emeritus at Anco. Red's father-in-law got him interested in officiating football games. Red began to officiate junior high school games while still in college, and he eventually became a line judge for the National Football League in 1972. In 1976, Red became a head NFL referee and ultimately officiated Super Bowls XX and XXX. Overall, he served as an official for the NFL for 25 years, officiating more than 500 games. He was inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in 1989 and was named the NFL's Referee Association Honoree in 2011. In 2015, he received the Art McNally Award to recognize exemplary professionalism, leadership, and commitment on and off the field. After his retirement from the field, Red continued to work as a trainer of NFL referees and served as the referee's voice on John Madden's video game, ``Madden NFL.'' Although Red spent a lot of time traveling across the United States, he stayed involved in the Brazos Valley community. He served as chairman of the Bryan-College Station Chamber of Commerce, the Brazos County Industrial Foundation, the Brazos County Association of Independent Insurance Agents, and the Region VI Education Service Center. In 1972, he was honored with the Brazos County volunteer award, and in 1994, he received the Brazos County Citizen of the Year award. Red was also a bell ringer every holiday season with the Salvation Army. Red was involved with many churches in Brazos Valley, first as an elder at the A&M Presbyterian Church, which his father helped found. Later, Red was a deacon at First Baptist Church in Bryan and, most recently, a member of the A&M United Methodist Church. Like most Aggies, Red loved Texas A&M University. In 1990, Red served as the campus Muster speaker. He was also honored in 2003 by being named a Texas A&M Distinguished Alumni and has the football official's locker room inside Kyle Field named for him. Red was also later named a Mays Business School Outstanding Alumni and a Fish Camp Namesake. [[Page H2611]] He was a member of the President's Council, the 12th Man Foundation Champions Council, and the Corps of Cadets Development Council. Until his passing, Red was also the chair of the Association of Former Students' Student Loan Trustee Committee. Mr. Speaker, Red's life was defined by his service to his family, to our country, to the Brazos Valley, and to Texas A&M University. He will forever be remembered as a husband; a grandfather; a great- grandfather; a veteran; a selfless servant; and a great, great friend. My wife, Gina, and I offer our deepest and heartfelt condolences to the Cashion family. We also lift up the family and friends of Red Cashion in our prayers. I have requested that a United States flag be flown over our Nation's Capitol to honor the life and legacy of this humble servant. As I close today, I urge all Americans to continue praying for our country, for our veterans, for our military, and for our first responders who keep us safe at home. {time} 1245 HONORING DR. JAMES EARLE Mr. FLORES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Dr. James Earle of College Station, Texas, who passed away on February 4, 2019. =========================== NOTE =========================== March 8, 2019, on page H2611, the following appeared: As I close today, I urge all Americans to continue praying for our country, for our veterans, for our military, and for our first responders who keep us safe at home. ------ 1245 HONORING DR. JAMES EARLE Mr. FLORES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Dr. James Earle of College Station, Texas, who passed away on February 4, 2019. The online version has been corrected to read: As I close today, I urge all Americans to continue praying for our country, for our veterans, for our military, and for our first responders who keep us safe at home. 1245 HONORING DR. JAMES EARLE Mr. FLORES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Dr. James Earle of College Station, Texas, who passed away on February 4, 2019. ========================= END NOTE ========================= Jim was born on May 2, 1932, in Jacksonville, Texas, to Herbert and Edna Earle. While attending Jacksonville High School, Jim excelled in sports, particularly boxing. Jim won many Golden Gloves titles and earned the nickname ``The Mangler'' in high school. In high school, he also started drawing caricatures. After graduating from high school, Jim attended Texas A&M University, where he was a member of the Corps of Cadets. While at Texas A&M, Jim organized the first boxing club and lettered in both boxing and track and field. Jim graduated from Texas A&M in 1954 with a degree in architecture. Upon graduation, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Air Force. While serving in the Air Force, Jim was stationed at Dyess Air Force Base in Abilene, Texas. It was at a base event in the summer of 1957 where he met his future wife, Theresa. She sat in front of him for a caricature, and he said: ``You're so pretty, I think I'm going to marry you.'' They married just a few months later and raised two loving daughters. They had been married 61 years at the time of his passing. Jim completed Active Duty in 1957 and returned to Texas A&M to begin his career as an educator. He began teaching mechanical drafting to first-year engineering students. He later became the head of the Engineering Design Graphics Department. In 1964, Jim earned his Ph.D. in education. He continued to teach until 1995, when he retired. Throughout his career, Jim was active in the American Society for Engineering Education and held many leadership positions in the Engineering Design Graphics division. From 1986 to 1991, he served as chair of the Annual Conference Committee of that organization. He was named professor emeritus of Civil Engineering in 1995 and ``A Legend of Aggieland'' in 2000. During his time as a student and professor at Texas A&M, Jim created and drew a beloved cartoon character, Cadet Slouch. Jim depicted Slouch as an undergraduate cadet trying to navigate campus life. Topics included class assignments, the Aggie football team, and life in the Corps of Cadets. Cadet Slouch and his friends, Simp, Cedric, Squirt, and Fish Jethro, were published in The Battalion, the student newspaper, from 1955 to 1985. When drawing Cadet Slouch cartoons, Jim was often influenced by his time as a student and, later, as a professor. The Cadet Slouch cartoon series was a commentary on the many changes going on at Texas A&M, including the enrollment of women and the voluntary participation in the Corps. Cadet Slouch was beloved by generations of Aggies while it was published. In addition to the cartoon's run in the student newspaper, collections of Cadet Slouch cartoons were published in several books. On a personal note, during my time at Texas A&M in the mid-seventies, I always enjoyed reading the Cadet Slouch cartoon in The Battalion newspaper. In 1979, Jim and Theresa started their own publishing company. Jim wrote and published drafting workbooks at affordable prices, which were sold to more than 125 universities and colleges across the United States. Many more high schools used his textbooks to teach students mechanical drafting. It was in these workbooks that many of Jim's graduate students advanced their own careers by contributing to the content of these books. These books introduced the concepts of techniques of engineering graphics to over a million students across the country and around the world. Jim completed his last workbook, ``Engineering Graphics Designs,'' when he was 80 years old. Jim's career bridged the gap between drafting by hand to three- dimensional, computer-aided design. Jim believed that one must always adapt to changes in technology, so he bought a computer and mastered AutoCAD to the extent that he was a beta tester for Autodesk. Nevertheless, he never let technology cloud the basics of good drafting and design. Jim also had an interest in history. He served as an officer of many historical societies, including the Westerners, the National Outlaw and Lawman Association, the Western Outlaw and Lawman Association, and the Texas Gun Collectors Association. Jim became an expert on many historical figures and published a book in 1988 about Billy the Kid. Through his publishing company, he worked with friends to bring stories of western lawmen and outlaws into reality. Mr. Speaker, Jim's life was defined by his service to his family, to his students, to our country, and to Texas A&M University. He will be forever remembered as a husband, a father, a grandfather, a veteran, an educator, a mentor, a selfless servant, and a great friend. My wife, Gina, and I offer our deepest and heartfelt condolences to the Earle family. We also lift up the family and friends of Jim Earle in our prayers. I have requested the United States flag be flown over our Nation's Capitol to honor the life and legacy of this humble servant. As I close, I urge all Americans to continue praying for our country, for our veterans, for our military who protects us, and for our first responders who keep us safe at home. Honoring Ed Berry Mr. FLORES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Ed Berry of Bryan, Texas, who passed away on February 24, 2019. Ed was born on April 22, 1940, in Waco, Texas, to Ed Berry, Sr., and to Udis White Berry. He graduated from Waco High School and attended Texas A&M University, where he was a member of the class of 1962. While at Texas A&M, Ed was a member of the Corps of Cadets, where he was a member of Squadron 4 and, ultimately, the commanding officer of Squadron 8. He was also a member of the Ross Volunteer Company. He received his degree in mathematics, and was also in the first class in the world to graduate with a master's degree in computer science. On August 31, 1963, he married the love of his life, Barbara Teal, in Houston, Texas. They raised three sons in the Houston area and moved to Dallas in 1983. In both Houston and Dallas, Ed coached his sons' basketball and baseball teams for a total of 13 years. He also served as a deacon, a choir member, a Sunday school teacher, a Bible study leader, and a number of additional volunteer positions at South Main Baptist and Tallowood Baptist in Houston, Prestonwood Baptist in Dallas, and Travis Avenue Baptist in Fort Worth. At Prestonwood, Ed was also the chairman of the deacons and the president of the choir. After graduating from Texas A&M, Ed went to work at NASA for IBM and contributed to the Gemini and Apollo missions. He also worked for 25 years as the information systems leader for many companies, including Sysco Foods, Zapata Corporation, and Texas Oil and Gas. He later worked in technology and management consulting for Oracle Corporation and Cambridge Energy Research Associates. [[Page H2612]] For the last 15 years, Ed worked as a Realtor. He spent 10 years as the executive director of the Bryan-College Station Association of Realtors. During his tenure, the association became one of the top three in the State of Texas. Mr. Speaker, Ed's life was defined by his service to his family, to Texas, to our country, and to God. He will be forever remembered as a husband, a father, a grandfather, a community leader, a selfless servant, and a great friend. My wife, Gina, and I offer our deepest and heartfelt condolences to the Berry family. We also lift up the family and friends of Ed Berry in our prayers. I have requested the United States flag be flown over our Nation's Capitol to honor the life and legacy of this humble servant. Also, as I close today, I urge all Americans to continue praying for our country, for our veterans, for our military who protects us, and for our first responders who keep us safe at home. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time. ____________________
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