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[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E873-E874]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
REMEMBERING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF DAVID MARCUS
______
HON. KEVIN McCARTHY
of california
in the house of representatives
Friday, July 5, 2019
Mr. McCARTHY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to remember the life and
legacy of Mr. David Marcus, a larger-than-life personality, passionate
supporter of our community, and a great friend to many, who passed away
on June 28, 2019 after his seventh battle with cancer. A resident of
Bakersfield, California, David will be remembered throughout our
community for his contagious positive attitude, his dedicated faith in
God, and his ubiquitous presence--he was known locally as ``Mr.
Bakersfield.''
David was born on December 22, 1958 in Passaic, New Jersey, and later
moved to Bakersfield. He developed his job skills working at the
Bakersfield Association of Retarded Citizens and quickly found a career
working at Albertson's, where he inspired everyone he met. David was
often seen cheering on different high school sports teams, like his
niece's Centennial Golden Hawks. With his can-do spirit and positive
attitude, David quickly became known for being their biggest supporter,
cheering on our community's student-athletes as they competed for
championships. Despite his cancer diagnosis, David was constantly at
games, events, and community celebrations, sharing the power of
positivity with everyone he came in contact with. In recognition of
this, he was announced as the winner of the 2018 Greatest Community
Supporter Award, which was presented to him by the Kern High School
District.
David, a loud supporter of everything Bakersfield, would make friends
anywhere he went as he cheered on and championed different events in
the community. From welcoming home veterans as they returned from an
Honor Flight to cheering on players with disabilities during the League
of Dreams to attending our community's annual Relay for Life, David was
someone our community united around. In fact, in just a few days,
members of the Bakersfield community came together to raise money to
ensure that he received a star on the historic Fox Theatre's Walk-of-
Fame in downtown Bakersfield.
For those of us lucky enough to call him a friend, it was not
surprising to see that David never lost his vision of the power of
positivity and prayer. David prayed for everyone in his family, our
community, and even for the members of this legislative body, asking
that we be given the wisdom to make the right decisions for our
country. Despite battling cancer seven times, David never became angry
or bitter. Instead his warm, positive personality shined brighter than
ever as the battles got longer and tougher. He will be remembered as a
warrior who never gave up and fought valiantly until the end. On behalf
of California's 23rd Congressional District, I want to extend my most
heartfelt condolences to David's family, including his sister Arlene
and husband Virgil; his sister Debbie and husband George; his nieces
Bee, Alexandria, and GloriAnn; and his nephews George, Gino, and Guy.
David's life, actions, and love for his community will undoubtedly
continue to inspire us, as will his words: Thumbs Up, Cancer Down.
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