[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 46 (Monday, April 25, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[Congressional Record: April 25, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
TRIBUTE TO TOFE BOLUS
Mr. HEFLIN. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to Tofe Bolus,
a constituent whose recent death saddened those who were fortunate
enough to have known him over the years. Tofe was the son of Lebanese
immigrants who came here earlier this century. Like most immigrants,
they were simple, honest people with the simplest, but noblest,
ambitions--to make a better life for their children. In their son Tofe,
the Boluses certainly succeeded.
Words like duty, country, and family were the cornerstones of his
life, and they were mirrored in the poems he composed. Tofe served as
an infantryman in the European theater during World War II. After the
war, he returned to Birmingham and opened a small watch repair and
jewelry shop, married his wife Helen, an raised a wonderful family.
Their four sons and two daughters graduated from Alabama's universities
and became leaders in their communities. One of his sons, Paul, worked
in my office at one time.
Tofe Bolus epitomized the essence of the American dream. Through hard
work, grit, and determination, he built a successful business and was
able to give something back to the society that had allowed him to
flourish. He was a man of humility and good humor who never lost sight
of the important things in life.
I extend my sincerest condolences to Helen and her entire family in
the wake of their tremendous loss.
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