[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 77 (Wednesday, May 26, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1093-E1094]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               REGARDING THE PASSING OF MS. SANDRA CHAVIS

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 26, 1999

  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my 
heartfelt sadness on the recent passing of an individual who provided 
tremendous service to our country and in particular, to the Dallas/Fort 
Worth area.
  Mr. Speaker, on Saturday, May 22, 1999, Ms. Sandra Chavis passed away 
after suffering a heart attack. She was 50 years young.
  Mr. Speaker, I join many individuals in my district and the 
Washington area in mourning Ms. Chavis. Her dedication to our Nation's 
fair housing laws and her commitment to public service are recognized 
and cherished by many.
  Indeed, there are many families throughout our Nation's cities who 
have equal access to home ownership because of her tireless efforts to 
open the doors to homes everywhere, for everyone.
  Her dedication in this area is as well-known as her gracious demeanor 
and her love for her family.
  Mr. Speaker, Ms. Chavis first showed her dedication to public service 
in San Francisco in 1973, where she worked for the Social Security 
Administration. In 1978, she joined the Department of Housing and Urban 
Development's Office of Fair Housing and Office of Human Resources. She 
joined the Department at a time when fair housing laws were still in 
their nascence.
  At the time of her unexpected death, she was serving as Director of 
the Department's Office of Equal Employment Opportunity in Washington, 
DC. Her cumulative work at the Department of Housing and Urban 
Development represented a career of fighting for fairness and equality 
for all Americans.
  Mr. Speaker, her life and work were held in such high esteem that the 
Department of Housing and Urban Development led by Secretary Andrew 
Cuomo are opening their hearts and doors with a memorial service at HUD 
headquarters. This is truly because she touched and moved so many 
lives.
  Mr. Speaker, it was once said that ``nothing great in the world has 
been accomplished without passion.'' I truly believe that Ms. Chavis 
had a great and intense passion to serve others and promote fairness. 
That great passion allowed her to accomplish so many great things that 
we are indebted to her now and forever.

[[Page E1094]]

  Particularly, I want to recognize a host of family and friends she 
left behind: her husband, George Anderson; her son Jamie Chavis; her 
parents, William Ira and Arlanda Chavis; four brothers, William Ray 
Buston, Gerald Patterson, Ira Rudolph, and William Randolph; two 
sisters, Ruth Bryant and Linda Coley; three grandchildren, Carlton, 
Jamillya, and William Patrick Chavis; nine nephews, and six nieces; 
three close friends; Vyllorya A. Evans, Evelyn Okie, and Shirley Wells. 
I join them in celebrating the life of a great human being, public 
servant, and American.

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