[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 29 (Wednesday, February 24, 1999)]
[House]
[Page H772]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       IN MEMORY OF ERVAN N. CHEW

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Madam Speaker, it is not often that we can 
rise to the floor of the House with both feelings of joy and deep 
sadness. I have a particularly unique privilege because I can rise 
before the American people today and pay tribute to a truly great 
American, someone who we lost too young and too soon. But the joy I 
have is in sharing his legacy and his spirit with all of my colleagues, 
but particularly the young people.
  I rise, Madam Speaker, to pay tribute to Ervan Chew, someone who 
lived on this land and on this earth from 1956 to 1999. But he lived it 
with vitality and vigorousness and a love for life. In fact, to his 
very end, his demise was caused because he was doing too much for the 
community to take care of himself.
  Ervan Chew was a bright and shining star in the Houston community 
throughout the entirety of his too-short life. In a time when role 
models for our youth are sometimes few and far between, Ervan Chew 
stood out as a civic leader, not because of his words, but because of 
his deeds.
  He was a tireless volunteer who was willing to give of himself for 
causes that he believed in. Simply said, Mr. Ervan Chew was the 
ultimate volunteer and a civil servant of the highest order.
  For that reason, Ervan was often sought after by people and groups in 
need of assistance. Mr. Chew served in multitudes of leadership 
positions with various nonprofit organizations, often at the same time.
  Can you imagine, coming from Houston, Texas, he participated in 
Leadership Houston, an organization that developed leaders, not for 
self, but in order to take their leadership and make things better.
  He was a good scout. Oh, you say, yes, he was a good Boy Scout. No, 
he worked for the Girl Scouts and the Boy Scouts. So he took the theme 
of making your camp better than how you found it truly as part of his 
creed. He made it better for the Girl Scouts, the Boy Scouts, the 
Houston Forum Club, the American Leadership Forum, the National Asian 
Leadership Fellowship, the United Way, the Houston Junior Chamber of 
Commerce, the Volunteer Center, Save the Children, the Wesley Community 
Center, the American Red Cross, the Chinese Seniors Association, and 
the Houston Independent School District. When Ervan Chew took positions 
with those organizations, he always did more than what was expected of 
him.
  As other civic servants from Houston would be quick to tell us, when 
one saw Ervan Chew was working alongside of one on a project, one 
always knew that one's mission would be accomplished. Along with 
compassion and benevolence, he exuded a quiet patience and 
determination that, all by itself, could drive any worthwhile project 
to completion. As those qualities were easily recognizable to his 
peers, it was only natural that he was recognized officially by those 
he worked with, and he often was.
  During his too-brief life, Ervan Chew earned 57 Boy Scout merit 
badges and was promoted to Eagle Scout. He was awarded the prestigious 
Silver Beaver Award in 1986 by former President Gerald Ford, and won 
the Mayor of Houston's Volunteer Service Award just a few short months 
before his death.
  Although he was showered with awards and accolades fit for but a few 
great citizens, I believe Ervan Chew truly believed his deeds were 
fully compensated with warm smiles from the beneficiaries of his good 
work.
  Ervan will always be remembered as someone who was willing to work 
hard to make his community a better place for all of us. Part of his 
legacy is that Houston is a better place because of him. But I believe 
there will be more.
  I hope and pray that people will see how rewarding Mr. Chew's life 
was and will be willing to follow in his footsteps by volunteering for 
a group or activity or just simply taking up a cause, having a passion 
about it, being convicted, saying to someone who says ``no,'' saying 
``yes, we can do this.''
  I was truly saddened by the loss of this young warrior. Ervan Chew's 
legacy of altruism and selflessness will live in the hearts of each 
person he touched through his good deeds.
  There was more to Ervan than what he did externally or outside of his 
home. He had a loving wife, and they loved each other. They loved his 
native land of China, his father and his mother, his beloved aunt who 
raised him who I had time to share moments with, his brothers.
  For me, Ervan will be deeply and sincerely missed, Madam Speaker. In 
fact, so many of our hearts are broken, for not because we needed to 
have Ervan nurture us, but because we knew there was more than he could 
do. He touched our lives, he touched our hearts, and he flew high where 
the eagles fly.
  Ervan, I tip my hat to you, but I imagine your wings are strong, and 
I hope that your memory will live on, not in just our minds, but in our 
deeds. God bless Ervan and God bless his family and God bless America.
  Madam Speaker, I insert the following letter into the Record:
                                                 January 22, 1999.
     To the Family of Ervan Chew:
       On behalf of the Eighteenth Congressional District of 
     Texas, I would like to offer you and your family my deepest 
     sympathy on the passing of Mr. Ervan Chew. I was truly 
     saddened to hear of Mr. Chew's passing and wanted to convey 
     to his family my heartfelt condolences.
       I hope on this day, however, amidst all the grief, you will 
     feel gratitude for Ervan's magnificent life, determination to 
     carry on his legacy and keep it alive, and the peace of God 
     which takes us to a place beyond all our understanding.
       The Bible tells us, ``though we weep through the night, joy 
     will come in the morning.'' Ervan Chew's incredible life 
     force brought us all joy in the morning. No dark night could 
     ever defeat him. And as we remember him, may we always be 
     able to recover his joy. For this man loved life and all the 
     things in it. He loved his wife, his friends, his country, 
     his work, his Chinese-American heritage. A businessman who 
     immersed himself in volunteer work for Houston's children and 
     Houston's Chinese-American community, he loved the difference 
     he was making in the world.
       Let us remember these things about Ervan. Let us always 
     have our joy in the morning. Let us be determined to carry on 
     his legacy. Let us always be vigilant, as he was, in 
     remembering that we cannot lift ourselves up by tearing other 
     people down, that we have to go forward together.
       In his letter to the Galatians, St. Paul said, ``Let us not 
     grow weary in doing good. For in due season we shall reap if 
     we do not lose heart.'' Our friend, Ervan Chew, never grew 
     weary, he never lost heart. He did so much good, and he is 
     now reaping his reward. He left us sooner than we wanted him 
     to leave, but what a legacy of love and life he left behind.
       Again, I send my deepest sympathy and love to his entire 
     family. Today, and in all of our tomorrows, as we remember 
     and love Ervan Chew, we will remember and love you. May God 
     continue to bless and keep you, and let there always be joy 
     in the morning for Ervan Chew.
           Sincerely,
                                               Sheila Jackson-Lee,
     Member of Congress.

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