[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 84 (Tuesday, June 17, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1233]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               IN MEMORY OF HARRY (BUDDY) W. CORMIER, JR.

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MARION BERRY

                              of arkansas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 17, 1997

  Mr. BERRY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart to honor the 
memory of Buddy Cormier, who passed away last night after a long fight 
with cancer.
  Buddy Cormier was a lifelong resident of DeWitt, AR, a little town 
not far from my home in Gillett. Buddy ran a small rice mill that his 
father had founded many years ago and he epitomized the small 
businessman and community activist that has characterized so many small 
towns in Arkansas.
  When I ran my farming operation, there was no one that was more of a 
joy to do business with than Buddy Cormier. He was always fair in his 
dealings and was as concerned about my bottom line as he was about his 
own--a rare characteristic in today's business world. He was a leader 
in the rice industry in Arkansas and in the country because he cared 
about preserving our heritage.
  Buddy Cormier was a big man in every sense of the word. He had a 
limitless appetite for life and for the well-being of those around him. 
When we did business together, I often found myself with him a little 
longer than would be normal, simply because he so lifted my spirits. He 
had boundless energy and a good humor that was simply infectious.
  This is the way that I will remember my friend: As a man who embraced 
the world; who cared deeply about those around him; who worked to make 
his corner of the world a better place. His body may have succumbed to 
illness, but his spirit will always live on. Rest in peace my friend, 
we'll miss you.

                          ____________________