April 10, 2020 - Issue: Vol. 166, No. 69 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 2nd Session
REMEMBERING AND CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF SAMUEL LEWIS LIEBERMAN; Congressional Record Vol. 166, No. 69
(Extensions of Remarks - April 10, 2020)
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[Extensions of Remarks] [Pages E358-E359] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] REMEMBERING AND CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF SAMUEL LEWIS LIEBERMAN ______ HON. DINA TITUS of nevada in the house of representatives Friday, April 10, 2020 Ms. TITUS. Madam Speaker, I rise to remember and celebrate the life of a dear friend, Sam Lieberman. First, let me say how honored I am today to speak in memory of a fine man, Sam Lieberman, and in celebration of his remarkable life. I want to thank Clifton Whitehurst, who I know was like a brother to Sam and such an amazing caregiver, Rabbi Mintz who inspires us all with her grace and wisdom, and Sam's mother Sara from whom he inherited so many admirable qualities. I first met Sam at UNLV in the mid-eighties when he took a political science class from me. He soon became more than just a student passing through. He loved to tell how I threw an eraser at him one time when he fell asleep in class and how I told him he'd have made an A if he hadn't napped through half my lectures--but that is just urban myth. Sam was really a good student, though in no hurry to graduate, a political junkie, and, I soon learned, a die-hard Democrat. Along with several other students, Sam is pictured in a political brochure from my first election to the State Senate. And he spent many a Saturday in my garage handing out walking packets and directing volunteers. Sam's diligence and hard work for lots of candidates were rewarded when the Democratic Party elected him Chair from 2008 to 2011. From that position he led the party through some rough patches and some incredible victories. And what fun we had in Tonopah at central committee meetings and especially at the Democratic Convention. Sam was always there: tending to business, helping others, and moving us all in the right direction. He did it with humor, with steadfastness, and with compassion. He brought those same traits to his position as Regent--and I think he got a chuckle out of now being my boss. He believed so strongly in the value of education and fought to extend its reach to disadvantaged communities. He never let his own disability get in the way--he was everywhere--ball games, regent meetings, public addresses. Everybody knew and loved Sam. I also saw Sam in Washington when he came to the Hill to advocate for organizations, like NVPEP (People Encouraging People) and Easterseals, that serve those living with disabilities and their families. He was a powerful voice because he spoke from experience; he never bemoaned the fact that he wasn't more mobile; and he proved how someone with conviction could accomplish anything. Sam was such a good friend--he even once gave me his famous lemon bar recipe but made me promise not to tell anyone the secret ingredients. His passing came as a shock and it is hard to imagine that I won't be seeing him--everywhere I turn--asking his advice, introducing him at some award ceremony (he received many), or sharing a funny story that happened out on the trail. Tom and my mother Betty and I will miss him so very much. His passing is a great loss to Nevada, to the Democratic Party, and to his many friends. I include in the Record the words of Dr. Marta Meana, President of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, in her memorial of Sam Lieberman, along with his official obituary. Dear University Community, UNLV lost one of its greatest champions on Friday with the untimely passing of alumnus and Regent Sam Lieberman. Sam was quite simply a force for good. In so many ways. His involvement as a UNLV student in the early 1980s set him on a path to pursue, and be a champion for, higher education. After graduating from UNLV with a degree in social work in 1996, Sam served as a member of the UNLV Alumni Association Board and helped start the alumni chapter for the College of Liberal Arts. He would later be [[Page E359]] named the college's alumnus of the year, and in 2014 he was elected as a member of the Nevada System of Higher Education Board of Regents. Sam had an acute ability to discern the link between systems and the people they impact, with an endless drive to make them better. His ever-present wit and humor brought levity, even during tough conversations. Perhaps, even more, I'll miss his empathy and insight into the needs of our students, and his vast knowledge of UNLV and of higher education in Nevada. He used his voice to advocate for the vulnerable, he celebrated our wins, and he was there to support us whenever we needed him. To say Sam was active on campus would be an understatement. He was a constant presence at UNLV, from major events to small department-level functions. Sam was always there for us, as he was for so many organizations throughout Nevada. It feels impossible to quantify Sam's monumental impact. There are so many people he helped and those people, in turn, have helped others. The human connections he made and the lives he lifted up through higher education are a small part of the legacy he left behind. There are few in UNLV's history who have displayed as much passion and commitment for our students, and for the success of everyone at our university, as Sam Lieberman. He will be deeply missed. As we reflect on Sam's life and legacy, let's try to live how Sam lived--to lend a voice to those who need it, to be kind and truly listen to one another, and to lift each other up at a time when it is so desperately needed. Please take care of yourselves, and each other. Godspeed, Sam. Obituary of Samuel Lewis Lieberman Samuel Lewis Lieberman, age 58, passed away Friday April 3, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. At his core, Sam was a social being who thrived on connection to other people. Sam devoted all of his life and energy to helping others--most notably in Las Vegas where he lived for almost 40 years, and also through his lifelong relationship with the Olin-Sang-Ruby Union Institute (OSRUI, a Reform Jewish summer camp) in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. Sam was the oldest child of David and Sara Lieberman, and was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He was born with cerebral palsy, which was a significant physical disability, but he never let that get in the way of anything he wanted to do, and he never complained . . . EVER. Sam grew up on Lake Harriet, along with his siblings Jonathan, Barbara and Michael. As a teenager, he was very active in Jewish youth activities at Temple Israel Youth Group, Camp TEKO and NFTY, and he attended Southwest Junior High. During high school summers, Sam worked at OSRUI, where he ran the summer camp office. Sam graduated from Marshall-University High School in 1980 and then left Minneapolis to attend college at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas (UNLV). At UNLV, Sam immersed himself in all aspects of student life--so much so that it took him 16 years to complete his studies in order to graduate! Through this experience, he developed a passion for ensuring that people of all backgrounds and abilities had access to education. As an adult, Sam worked with boundless energy as an advocate for several important causes--including as a trusted aide to Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, Chairman of the Nevada Democratic Party, a Board Member of Nevada PEP (an organization devoted to parents of children with disabilities), President of Congregation P'nai Tikvah and member of the Board of Regents of the Nevada System of Higher Education. He was also a kind, warm, funny and loyal friend to so many people of all ages and backgrounds. (He has 4,455 friends on Facebook, and the flood of messages on his Facebook pages is an uplifting thing to read.) Sam loved to eat too. In Minneapolis, it was prime rib at the King's Inn, egg rolls at the Nankin and corned beef sandwiches at the Lincoln Del. In Las Vegas, it was shrimp cocktail and a Coke at The Tillerman, and a ribeye steak, twice-baked potato and Caesar salad at the Golden Steer. He also adored chicken soup with kreplach made by his Baba Adele Lieberman--though she only made kreplach on special occasions. He didn't really drink alcohol, except he would order Bailey's Irish Cream and coffee--and sip it through a straw. Sam also had a deep love and fierce devotion to his family--which included not only his parents, siblings, nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles and cousins, but also his devoted friend and caregiver Clifton Whitehurst and Clifton's daughter Alyssa Whitehurst. Sam is preceded in death by his father David Lieberman, and is survived by his mother Sara, siblings Jonathan, Barbara and Michael, sisters-in-law Lisa Kayne Lieberman and Jessie Washburne-Harris, brother-in-law Sam Askenazi, nieces and nephews Rebecca, Charlotte, Benjamin and Gabriella, uncle Stephen Lieberman, aunts Sheila Lieberman and Sandra Okinow and a large and loving group of cousins. The world is a better place for his having been here, and he will be greatly missed! ____________________