[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 83 (Monday, June 16, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5664-S5666]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         A LESSON FOR ALL OF US

  Mr. BIDEN. Mr. President, with your permission, rather than 
immediately comment on the same subject matter, I ask, as we used to 
say in the Senate, a point of personal privilege. I would like to 
comment on a story that was published in my hometown newspaper that is 
the antithesis of problems relating to juvenile delinquency. It is a 
story about a family I am very close to.
  I should say at the outset I am prejudiced in this regard. I have a 
very close relationship and high regard for the father and mother of 
this family, and three of the four children in this family have worked 
with me and are friends of my children. One of them is in this Chamber 
today at my request as an employee of one of our colleagues from 
Florida.
  Mr. President, I want to tell this story because we rarely get a 
chance to share with our colleagues the kind of story I am about to 
share and, I might add, that in my almost 25 years in the Senate I have 
only done this on one other occasion, but I think it is just 
remarkable.
  The story is about a family named Kimmel, the Kimmel family. Going 
way back, I didn't practice law with but practiced law in adjoining 
suites to Mort Kimmel and knew his wife Marsha. We go back now about 30 
years.
  Mr. President, it is the kind of story which I rarely share but my 
reluctance to discuss this in a public forum was increased initially 
because the individuals involved were such close personal friends, Mort 
and Marsha Kimmel and their family. I have known Mort and Marsha, as I 
said, for 30 years and the children have worked with me on my campaigns 
and have been friends with my children as well. They are among the most 
giving and caring people I know.
  A story appeared on the front page of our largest statewide newspaper 
entitled ``Triumph of the Heart.'' I will ask at the appropriate time 
it be printed in the Record. It is a picture of my buddy, Mort Kimmel, 
and his wife and his four children. I will explain that in a minute. It 
is focused on a young man named Larry Spiller who is, in fact, the 
nephew of Mort and Marsha Kimmel.
  It is really a story about Larry Spiller and his aunt and uncle and 
his cousins who welcomed Larry into their home and into their hearts 
after a severe family tragedy. I think it holds some lessons for what 
we all say we value but few of us practice. It is a story of 
selflessness, of sacrifice, and, most of all, of what being family, in 
my opinion, is all about.
  On New Year's Eve, in 1987, the Spiller family got on an airplane--
mother, father, and three children--to head to a ski trip in Vermont. 
Larry's father had a commercial pilot's license. He was instrument-
rated but got caught while flying the family up to Vermont, after one 
stop and then taking off again, in a wind shear 90 feet before the 
runway as they were landing and the plane crashed. Larry's mother and 
father both died in the crash, and Larry's two brothers were mortally 
injured. This young man, Larry Spiller, was then 8 years old. He was 
the only survivor. And because he happened to have switched seats with 
his mom just before they attempted to land--he had been riding in the 
copilot seat, and his mom wanted to get up front to help his dad 
because of the weather--and he was seated in a seat where his back was 
to the pilot, I expect and most people think that is the reason why he 
survived.
  Well, what happened was, on that awful day, there was a meeting 
shortly

[[Page S5665]]

thereafter that took place in another family, and that is in the family 
of the brother-in-law, the family of the partner, because Larry's 
father and my friend, Mort Kimmel, were law partners. But Larry's 
father happened to have a mother who was the sister of my friend, Mort 
Kimmel. And so Mort and Marcia Kimmel and their three young children--
Wayne, who is now 27, Michelle, who works here in Washington, who is 
now 24, and Karen, 18--held a family meeting and they made a very 
fateful decision. They made a decision to bring Larry into their home 
as another son, another sibling--no holds barred, absolute, total, 
equal.
  Karen, who is now 18 years old, on her own volition gave up her 
bedroom for her cousin. That was her idea. And many other personal, 
what appeared to be sacrifices were made through the selfless acts of 
the three children and the mother and father. It is the kind of 
selfless family decision that is so often talked about, that we see in 
the movies and we see glorified, but so seldom do we know of it 
occurring. Because we all have a tendency to rationalize when that kind 
of thing happens, even though it is your sister's child who survived. I 
can picture thousands of good people rationalizing, ``Well, wait, we 
only have so much. If we bring in Larry, then what about our three 
children? And maybe it is best for * * *'' and so on and so forth. As 
the Presiding Officer knows, the ability of the human mind to 
rationalize is mind-boggling. But they made no rationalization. They, 
in a genuine family decision involving all three of their children, 
decided that there was only one course of action.
  There were adjustments and sacrifices for everyone involved. But for 
the Kimmels, that is all part of being a family. You hear a lot of talk 
these days about family values, but the Kimmels and Larry Spiller, that 
young 9-year-old boy at the time, have lived out what in reality is an 
old-fashioned notion, that families are there for one another.
  We have an expression in my family. After my wife and daughter were 
killed, I came home from the hospital, my two sons were in the 
hospital, and my sister had already moved into my house. She didn't ask 
anything--my younger sister and her husband. We have an expression in 
our family: If you have to ask, it's too late. Well, they didn't have 
to ask; they just decided and they acted.
  Whether it involves taking in an orphaned child or bringing in an 
elderly parent or grandparent in your home, providing a sibling or an 
aunt or an uncle a place to get back on their feet on solid ground 
after a period of rough going or ill health, these sacrifices are all 
examples of what we mean by family. Make no mistake about it: These 
decisions are not easy. But family values, real, practice-what-you-
preach family values, don't always make it easy for us to make 
decisions. And they are not always convenient.
  Family is, rather, about commitment. And the Kimmel family is a 
living testament to that commitment.
  Let me tell you what the article was about. I will not go on much 
longer. The article is focused on how this young man, Larry Spiller, 
who is now graduating from one of the finest high schools in Delaware, 
about how well he has done in this family. He has excelled both 
academically and athletically. This young man made all State in both 
baseball and basketball, did incredibly well in school, and will be 
attending Cornell University. Like so many other great schools, it is 
very difficult to get into, and his family has every right to be proud 
of this young man.
  It would have been easy for a 9-year-old child, I can tell you from 
experience, having been tragically robbed, in this case of his entire 
immediate family, to let that tragedy define his life. No one would 
have begrudged him that. That happens to a lot of people whose lives 
have been scarred by tragedy. And it would have been equally 
understandable had Mort and Marcia Kimmel and their children allowed 
Larry to slip into that kind of thinking or allowed Larry to slip 
through their fingers and allowed the tragedy to be the focal point of 
their lives. But that did not happen. They all grieved, of course, and 
still do. But they have been able to move on, to live their lives as a 
dynamic family, each of them involved in school and sports and civic 
activities. They proved that while bad things do happen to good people, 
good things happen, too, especially when you make up your mind not to 
let the bad experiences define and dominate your life.

  Last summer, young Larry turned 18 and received the bulk of his 
parents' estate. It was a substantial sum of money for a young man just 
beginning to make his way in the world. It could make Larry's life a 
lot easier in the coming years. But, instead, Larry Spiller and the 
Kimmels have used the money to establish the Kimmel-Spiller Charitable 
Foundation to help sick children and those facing injuries and 
disabilities.
  In the newspaper interview that I will submit for the Record, he, 
young Larry, who was graduating, as I said, was asked what he had to 
say about this. He said, ``There is really no need for me to have all 
that. I want to work for my own money as a lawyer, which I will 
probably do, and my parents''--he refers to Mort and Marcia as his 
parents--``will support me through college. It could help other 
people.''
  How many young kids, with that kind of a capability, that kind of 
money, would say, ``You know, there is really no need for me to have 
it; I'll work for my own money; I'll be able to do it''?
  Larry goes on to say in that article, ``I'm lucky to be here. I'm 
lucky I could just move into another family and be so stable. I was 
always happy to have a second chance.''
  Larry Spiller and Wayne and Michelle and Karen Kimmel, the other 
children, and their parents, Mort and Marcia Kimmel, are a very special 
family, and in their story lie some valuable lessons for all of us. It 
is not easy to be a family. The decisions aren't always painless 
decisions. Sacrifice almost always goes with love. But when love is 
there, anything can be overcome.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that an article from the 
Wilmington News Journal about Larry Spiller and his family be printed 
in the Record.
  There being no objection, the article was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                 [From the News Journal, June 11, 1997]

                          Triumph of the Heart


ORPHANED AT 9 AND TAKEN IN BY HIS UNCLE AND FAMILY, LARRY SPILLER IS A 
            STORY OF ACADEMIC, ATHLETIC AND PERSONAL SUCCESS

                          (By Kevin Tresolini)

       Your heart wants to ache for Larry Siller, but he will not 
     let it.
       He is a young man who could have withdrawn, cursing the 
     fates--and the wind shear--that orphaned him almost 10 years 
     ago.
       Instead, he radiates happiness.
       ``I consider myself lucky,'' Spiller said. ``It's not as if 
     nothing has happened, but I'm very comfortable with who I 
     am.''
       Now 18, he is poised to move into the next phase of life 
     with his graduation tonight from Tower Hill School. He has 
     excelled academically--earning admission to Cornell 
     University beginning this fall--as well as athletically, 
     making All-State in basketball and baseball.
       Spiller almost didn't live to see this day.
       He was 9 years old, traveling with his parents and two 
     brothers on Dec. 31, 1987, when the six-seat Piper Lance 
     airplane carrying the family crashed 10 feet short of the 
     runway at Burlington (Vt.) International Airport.
       Spiller's father, Paul, a 39-year-old Wilmington attorney 
     who was piloting the plane he co-owned, and mother, Judith, 
     35, were killed instantly. His brothers, Harvey, 14, and 
     David, 5, suffered severe spine and head injuries and died 
     within two weeks.
       A National Transportation Safety Board investigation 
     concluded that wind shear--a sudden, violent, vertical burst 
     of wind--brought the plane down.
       Spiller, who suffered a broken leg and concussion, 
     survived. And he has become an inspiration to others around 
     him.
       ``What he's done is unbelievable,'' said David Glazier, a 
     Brandywine High School senior who is a close friend. ``He's 
     the opposite of what you think might happen. I've never seen 
     him upset.''
       ``He is an absolutely outstanding individual,'' said Steve 
     Hyde, his baseball coach at Tower Hill, ``in every sense of 
     the word.''


                 the plane crash that changed his life

       Paul Spiller was an experienced pilot with a commercial 
     pilot's license, a flight instructor's certificate and 734 
     hours of flying time when the Piper Lance left Greater 
     Wilmington Airport at 1:30 p.m. bound for Rutland, Vt.
       The Spillers were going to meet friends for a quick 
     vacation at the Killington ski resort.
       According to federal transportation officials, the plane 
     landed in Binghamton, N.Y., at 2:47 p.m. to wait out bad 
     weather. At 4:01, the plane left Binghamton.
       About an hour later, the Spillers' plane was cleared for 
     approach to Rutland. But the plane began to accumulate ice, 
     and Paul

[[Page S5666]]

     Spiller asked to be diverted to clearer weather. He was 
     informed that Burlington, the picturesque college town 
     straddling Lake Champlain 67 miles to the north, had radar 
     contact and 15 miles visibility. He headed there.
       At 5:20 p.m., when he couldn't maintain 5,500 feet altitude 
     because of ice, Spiller declared an emergency. He was given 
     permission to descend to 2,000 feet, where ice began coming 
     off the windshield. Then it iced up again, and the Burlington 
     control tower turned the runway lights up.
       ``I was in the front seat with my dad when he called an 
     emergency,'' Larry Spiller remembered. ``My mom said, `Switch 
     seats with me. I want to be up front to help your father.' ''
       Larry moved to the second row of seats, which pointed 
     backward. His brothers were facing him. Behind them was the 
     luggage compartment.
       At 5:40 p.m., the pilot radioed again. ``The runway is 
     clear now. I can see it clearly. Thank you.''
       All seemed fine. One minute later, Paul Spiller radioed 
     again and was cut off midword.
       ``I just experienced what I think to be wind sh--''
       The plane plummeted 200 feet to the ground and slid another 
     100 feet. It briefly caught fire, but emergency workers--
     stationed nearby because of the emergency call--quickly 
     extinguished the flames.
       Workers found Larry, conscious, with the luggage. They took 
     him and his unconscious brothers to the Medical Center 
     Hospital of Vermont.
       Spiller could not recall the crash when he woke up in the 
     hospital and saw his mother's brother, Morton Kimmel.
       ``When I told him, [about the accident] he didn't believe 
     it,'' Kimmel said. ``I said, `It's true.' ''
       Larry visited his brothers, who never regained 
     consciousness.
       ``I think about [my family] pretty much every day, even if 
     it's just for a second,'' Larry said. ``They're * * *.


                       Spiller gets a new family

       With the crash, Morton Kimmel lost his sister, two nephews 
     and a brother-in-law who was his law partner.
       But he gained a son, when he took Spiller into his family.
       Kimmel and wife, Marcia, eventually became Spiller's legal 
     guardian. His cousins--Wayne, now 27, Michell, 24, and Karen, 
     also 18--became his new siblings.
       ``They took me in and I was just part of their family,'' 
     Spiller said. ``Ever since then, I've been calling them my 
     parents and my brothers and sister.
       ``It's really a very normal life. I didn't change schools. 
     I didn't change sports.
       ``My first father coached me in every sport. My present 
     father now coaches everything, too. Few things changed except 
     the people I was living with.''
       Larry's grandparents, Benjamin and Bebe Spiller, now living 
     in Pompano Beach, Fla., lost their son, daughter-in-law and 
     two grandsons. Larry gave them a lifeline, Benjamin Spiller 
     said.
       ``We survived because of him.''


                         `can I call you mom?'

       On his first night with his new family, 9-year-old Larry 
     Spiller, a boy with his whole life ahead of him but the lives 
     of his immediate family members behind him, tentatively asked 
     his aunt, Marcia, ``Can I call you mom?''
       Feeling it was too soon, and not wanting Larry to forget 
     his real parents, she responded, ``Let's just wait.''
       The following New Year's Eve, one year to the day after the 
     crash, he asked again.
       ``I was tucking him into bed,'' she said, ``and he said, 
     `It's been a year', and asked again. We have family meetings 
     every week. I said, `This would be a big change,' but I knew 
     it would be all right. We talked about it at our next family 
     meeting and said, `We'd love to do this.' ''
       Stripped of the security of his immediate family, Larry had 
     every reason to feel alone. He never did.
       ``Our families were so close,'' said Spiller, who was a 
     Tower Hill third-grader at the time of the crash. ``We were 
     together all the time anyway before the crash. I never felt 
     alone at all, there were so many people around me.''
       One of the most important was Karen, a cousin eight months 
     younger than Larry.
       ``Everybody was walking on eggshells,'' Mort Kimmel said of 
     Larry's first fragile days with his ``new'' family. ``Except 
     Karen. Karen gave him her room. Karen brought him back into 
     reality.''
       At Tower Hill, classmates marveled at Spiller's strength.
       ``I remember when he came back to school,'' said longtime 
     pal Chip Goodman. ``His leg was in a cast and part of his 
     head was shaved. But that was all there was to tell you what 
     had happened.''
       As Spiller developed into an athlete, his new family 
     cheered him on. He would up scoring more than 1,100 points as 
     a Tower Hill basketball player, the third-highest total in 
     school history.
       A pitcher and infielder in baseball, he batted .375 as a 
     junior and .351 this spring, securing All-State recognition 
     both years. He'll play in Saturday's annual Blue-Gold Senior 
     All-Star Game, and made the Delaware South roster for this 
     month's Phillies-sponsored Carpenter Cup tri-state tournament 
     at Veterans Stadium. This summer, he's again playing for the 
     defending state champion R.C. du Pont American Legion 
     baseball team.


                      giving away his inheritance

       On Aug. 5 last summer, Larry's 18th birthday, his 
     biological parents' financial holdings and life insurance 
     benefits, which had been held in trust, became Spiller's. The 
     amount, he said, ``is substantial.''
       He's giving it away. Along with his present parents, Larry 
     has set up the Kimmel Spiller Charitable Foundation. The 
     first grant will likely be worth $30,000 Mort Kimmel said.
       ``It's a fund for sick kids or people injured or with 
     disabilities,'' Spiller said. ``There's really no need for me 
     to have it. I want to work for my own money as a lawyer, 
     which I'll probably do, and my parents will support me 
     through college. It could help other people.
       ``I definitely consider myself lucky,'' Spiller said again. 
     ``Just switching seats with my mom. If I hadn't done that, 
     there's no way I would have had a chance to survive.
       ``I'm lucky to be here. I'm lucky I could just move into 
     another family and be so stable. I was always happy to have a 
     second chance.''

  Mr. BIDEN. Mr. President, let me conclude by saying that I know there 
are thousands of other families who made the same kind of sacrifices. 
When we talk about family values, this is what I mean by family values, 
family values that reflect a common consensus about sacrifice to make 
things better for everyone else in the family.
  Mr. President, I am proud to know the entire Kimmel family, and I am 
proud that one of the young children in that family--not quite so young 
anymore, she is still very young by our standards--is down here making 
her contribution to her Nation by working on the staff of one of our 
colleagues from Florida.
  Mr. President, with the Chair's permission, I would like to move onto 
a different subject, the subject spoken to by my friend from Alabama. 
If my friend, Senator Durbin, is ready to move on his, I will withhold 
that until the next lull we have and respond to my friend from Alabama 
on the issue he raised regarding youth violence.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Illinois.

                          ____________________