[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 55 (Thursday, April 25, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E641-E642]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     TRIBUTE TO ANN BELKNAP BENNER

                                 ______


                            HON. TOM LANTOS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 25, 1996

  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, on Tuesday, Ann Benner, a great friend and a 
truly extraordinary American, passed away. The boundless energy that 
drove her to be a heroic supporter of her family and her community 
every day of her 77 years succumbed in the face of its ultimate 
challenge. Now, her many companions in the afterlife can enjoy the 
strength of her spirit and the glow of her love.
  Over the 2 years that Ann knew she had terminal cancer, she was at 
her desk in my district office doing the good work on which I and 
countless others had come to depend. It is hard to imagine that office 
without the reassuring presence of Ann. She was a true friend, an 
invaluable asset and the most compassionate human being I have ever 
met. I will miss her terribly. All of us in San Mateo and those in 
Washington who have worked with her will miss her terribly.
  When I first sought office 17 years ago, Ann was one of the first 
people to volunteer for my campaign. It was obvious from looking at 
Ann's remarkable list of credentials and accomplishments that she was a 
woman instilled with an incredible sense of community spirit, education 
and political activism that went far beyond ordinary civic duty. I was 
only too happy to offer her an outlet for this fountain of enthusiasm, 
just as I have been happy to do so for the last 17 years. She started 
that day, and continued every day after that, doing what was necessary 
to promote the ideas that she believed in and was willing to fight for.
  As a special assistant in my district office, Ann took every 
constituent problem, large or small, with the same zeal that she 
tackled everything else in her remarkable life. As I did when I first 
met her, everyone recognized and appreciated that they receive a 
straight answer from Ann--she told it like it was, and found out all 
she could about every question or complaint.

  One of the most compassionate acts I have ever witnessed was when 
Ann, at the age of 70, took on the awesome responsibility of adopting a 
young girl from South Africa. Ann gave that girl access to a modern 
society that was closed to a South African black. Ann did this with no 
regard for her own comfort and at considerable personal sacrifice 
because she thought the treatment that girl had received in South 
Africa was unjust.
  Ann's contribution to the country that she loved began long before I 
met her, demonstrating the vision and initiative that characterized her 
whole life. In 1941, she was a founding member of the Unitarian-
Universalist Church in San Mateo. In recognition of her commitment to 
the Unitarian community, the congregation established and annual award 
for service to the church and community which was named the ``Ann 
Benner Award.'' In 1945, she was a founding member of the League of 
Women Voters of Central San Mateo County. Not one to limit herself to 
one category or cause, Ann was an active lifetime member of the NAACP, 
promoting civil rights in many effective capacities.
  More recently, Ann was named the ``Democrat of the Year'' by the San 
Mateo County Democratic Central Committee in 1975. In 1981 she was 
named ``Woman of the Year'' by the San Mateo County Business and 
Professional Women. And, in testament to her overwhelming contributions 
to the advancement of women, in 1991 Ann was named to the Women's Hall 
of Fame of San Mateo County.
  Ann's departure leaves a void in my heart and in the community we 
shared that will be impossible to fill. Because of her efforts, Ann has 
left the world she entered 77 years ago a richer, more humane place. 
There will always be a place in my heart for Ann, just as her

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memory will live on in all the lives she touched. Ann, yours is a light 
that cannot be extinguished. I send you my love.

                          ____________________