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[Pages H3986-H3987]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
{time} 0915
REMEMBERING CHAUNCEY LEE VEATCH III
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from
California (Mr. Ruiz) for 5 minutes.
[[Page H3987]]
Mr. RUIZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor and in memory of
Chauncey Lee Veatch III.
Chauncey was a natural leader with an incredible passion for life,
education, and helping others. He was a tremendous educator, a
lieutenant colonel in the United States Army, National Teacher of the
Year, and a mentor to so many in the Coachella Valley.
It was a high privilege to call him my friend.
Chauncey personally inspired me, encouraged me, and guided me as well
as my friend and current assembly member, Eduardo Garcia, and Riverside
County Supervisor Manny Perez and many students and teachers from the
Coachella Valley.
Chauncey was exceptionally brilliant. His brother, Gregory, said,
even in middle school, his teachers knew he was smarter than they were.
He paired his unique intelligence and gifts with an extraordinary
work ethic. He studied history at the University of the Pacific in
Stockton, where he was inspired by the civil rights work of Cesar
Chavez, and helped register voters as a United Farm Workers volunteer.
After college, he went on to the University of Notre Dame, where he
obtained his juris doctor degree. Chauncey then served in the U.S. Army
Infantry and the Medical Service Corps for over 20 years, retiring in
1995 as a lieutenant colonel.
After retiring from the Army, Chauncey began his service as an
educator at John Kelley Elementary School in Thermal, California, later
becoming a teacher at my alma mater, Coachella Valley High School.
Coachella Valley Unified School District was fortunate to have such a
devoted and fine man.
As a teacher, he was renowned for his ability to present complex
material to his students in simple, understandable ways and to mentor
each of them on an individual basis, helping them to achieve their
fullest potential.
Later in life, Chauncey served on The Desert Sun newspaper's
editorial board for more than 7 years. In 2010, he co-led the Coachella
Valley Healthcare Initiative with me, bringing together the community
to address the healthcare access crisis in our disadvantaged and
underserved communities.
In each of his endeavors, he gave everything he had. In a word,
Chauncey's life was full: full of joy, full of generosity, and full of
love. He saw the best in people.
Not only that, he drew out the best in people. He saw in others what
they did not see in themselves, and he would not rest until he helped
them achieve what he knew they were capable of. In fact, a lot of
people are where they are today because their paths crossed with
Chauncey's.
He helped many of his students achieve their dreams of becoming a
teacher. Serving disadvantaged students, he also helped many become the
first in their generation to go to college, even helping them get into
good schools and elite schools like Notre Dame and Harvard.
His leadership was in his acts, his words, and his presence. He
showed people the way. His brother called him a builder of dreams. I
call him an architect of goodness whose deep commitment and mentorship
to his students turned barriers into opportunities, disadvantages into
strengths, and transformed our communities for generations to come.
Our world has lost a light, our community has lost a leader, and I
have lost a mentor and a close friend. Today I mourn with his family
and celebrate his full life, knowing that he was a good man, an
outstanding citizen, and a veteran whose impact will live on in our
communities. My wife, Monica, and I will miss him very much.
____________________
