[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 107 (Wednesday, July 31, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Page S7737]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      TRIBUTE TO ROGER C. CLOUATRE

 Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I rise to pay a posthumous 
tribute to one of the most dedicated leaders of my State, the late 
Roger C. Clouatre. As a corporate executive of Vulcan Chemical Company, 
as well as a member of the Ascension Parish School Board, he 
demonstrated dedication, pride in his work, and a commitment to the 
well being of those he represented and served.
  Much has changed in our Nation since September Eleventh. There is a 
growing, yet genuine enthusiasm for the things that are truly 
important, our family, our friends and the welfare of our country. Long 
before these tragic events, however, the man I memorialize here today 
practiced these ideals. He leaves behind a proud family; a thankful 
community and a Nation better off, because he was an American citizen 
for 53 years.
  His friends say he ``completed 80 years of work in 53 years of 
life.'' It is a record of accomplishment that we can all learn from. 
Yet, even though he battled cancer for the last 12 years of his life, 
it did not diminish his devotion to his children, his compassion for 
his friends and his dedication to the work of the Ascension Parish 
School Board. His planning and execution were always based in reality, 
but he himself represented an idealist's view of a man serving God, 
family and friends. He made us all laugh and kept a positive attitude 
that always seemed to affect our daily outlook on life.
  His son Spencer, a graduate of West Point, said eloquently at his 
father's funeral that although Roger has the potential for national 
service, he instead invested every moment of his energy on the 
community he dearly cared about, and the family he loved so much.
  Roger and his wife Katherine were the proud parents of four children, 
Spencer, Stephanie, Styles and Stuart, each a blessing in their own 
right.
  Though many awards and accolades found him in life, his service and 
dedication to his community were largely responsible for the public 
support of a $30 million bond issue that is creating new schools and 
expanding educational facilities throughout the parish.
  Again, his son Spencer put it best when he said:
  ``We were all very lucky to have him at the local level, for his 
capabilities surely could have affected state and national events. He 
was a leader--a Chief Executive Officer, a General--someone that we all 
wanted to follow, a role model we all emulated in some way or 
another.''
  His deflection of self at the height of the me-generation and the 
uncompromsing support of others that he demonstrated throughout his 
life, even at times of unspeakable pain, should provide all of us with 
the inspiration to go forward in our work.
  Unfortunately, all of my colleagues will not know Roger Clouatre. 
Looking back, I see how fortunate I happened to be to have had the 
occasion to seek the wonderful advice of this great American. Though he 
was seemingly lost in the deep fabric of this mighty Nation, he was in 
fact, a quiet hero. May Roger's star always reflect a wonderful 
luminance upon our Nation and provide all of us with a reminder of the 
thousand ways in which we may all work to make this a greater Nation 
still.

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