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[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E442-E443]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
IN HONOR OF KARL B. McMILLEN
______
HON. DUNCAN HUNTER
of california
in the house of representatives
Wednesday, April 10, 2019
Mr. HUNTER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Karl B. McMillen, a
Marine, a successful business owner and entrepreneur, and a generous
philanthropist. Karl's life can be broken down into 3 distinct parts.
The first part was to study hard and get educated. Then came working
hard and building a successful business; and now he's giving back.
Karl McMillen was born September 19, 1928, in Miami, Arizona. In
1929, when Karl was just a year old, his family moved to California,
seeking relief from the Great Depression. In the years that followed,
Karl's father Mac instilled a strong work ethic in his son--through his
childhood and teen years, Karl helped Mac with odd jobs, mining and
other pursuits.
After graduating from Pasadena Junior College in 1946, Karl joined
the Marine Corps. After two years with the Marines he left the service
and began work at a plumbing company to earn some money. Seeking to
advance his education, in the Fall of 1949, Karl enrolled at the
University of New Mexico (UNM). One summer, during a break back home to
Pasadena, he met a young woman named Thelma Mastraight. After a 3 month
courtship Karl knew that Thelma was the woman for him, and they married
in the fall of 1950. From there, the married couple went back and forth
from Southern California and New Mexico for Karl to continue his
education at UNM. During breaks, both worked hard to earn a decent
living.
Over the next couple years, Karl became a water-softening wizard and
started a small
[[Page E443]]
business with his fraternity brother installing lawn sprinklers. He
eventually transferred to the University of Southern California (USC)
for his junior year in 1952, where he gained the necessary tools to run
his plumbing business with the mentality of a businessman. Karl
graduated from USC in 1954 with a B.S. in Finance. From there, he
worked at Kohler and then created Cobabe Plumbing. By 1964, the company
employed 150 journeymen, operated a fleet of 76 trucks, and was
performing 7,000 jobs a year in Southern California.
In 1968, Karl started a new plumbing supply business with his friend
Ralph Todd called Todd Pipe & Supply. Their winning theory was simple:
treat your customers as people. This golden touch playbook led to the
small company in Hawthorne, California growing to nine highly-respected
facilities in California and Nevada, including San Diego. Karl's
success as a businessowner was the result of hard work, honesty,
integrity, and respect for others. Karl served as Co-Founder and
Chairman of the company before he sold it in 2004. It still
successfully operates in Los Angeles, Riverside, Orange, and San Diego
Counties.
Karl's amazing story of business success is counterbalanced by the
emotional deaths of his first wife to alcohol and cancer, and both his
sons who lost both of their lives to substance abuse. Karl, too, has
struggled with alcoholism and proudly has over 20 years sobriety today.
When Karl retired from the plumbing industry, he knew he was not
done making an impact. Karl's golden touch playbook continued and his
persistency to help others made an even greater turn. More determined
than ever in his war against addiction, Karl established the Thelma
McMillen Center for Alcohol and Drug Treatment, named in memory of his
late wife, at Torrance Memorial Medical Center. His gift to the
hospital greatly expanded their existing program, including the
creation of a teen outpatient program, which was important to him after
what happened to his sons.
Karl and his new wife Carol also started the McMillen Family
Foundation. The foundation made an immediate impact in the Southern
California community and the fight against substance abuse. To date the
foundation has helped over 60 organizations and has donated millions of
dollars. Organizations that have benefited include the Thelma McMillen
Center at Torrance Memorial Medical Center, the House of Hope, Pathways
to Independence, the Friendly House, the Beacon House, 1st Step, Lynn
House, the Shawl House and 2 Alano Clubs.
Karl has seen to it the foundation will go on in perpetuity, by
giving 20 percent of all profits from his existing business as well as
all his current assets to the foundation upon his death.
Karl's persistency to help his family, employees, customers, and
those in need highlight his courage and dedication in changing lives
for the better. Karl is no regular guy. He's a champion of Southern
California and who we are as Californians.
____________________
