[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 114 (Wednesday, September 11, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1551]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   IN HONOR OF RONALD MACK WOODGEARD

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. SAXBY CHAMBLISS

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 11, 2002

  Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. Speaker, heroes come in many shapes and sizes. 
Over the past 11 months we have celebrated the lives of many heroes. We 
have paid tribute to firemen, policemen, public officials, businessmen, 
among many others. Their common thread is the selfless desire to 
improve the world around them.
  Today I rise to recognize and pay tribute to one of my district's 
great heroes who spent his life on the political lines, digging deep 
into the business of Georgia law-making to tell the story, Mr. Ronald 
Mack Woodgeard, former Editor of the Macon Telegraph in Macon, Georgia.
  Ron was known throughout the state, especially in Macon, for his fair 
and balanced journalism. He had a knack for taking a story into the 
future, not just by giving a play by play description of events, but by 
taking the analysis a step further to uncover not only the facts but 
look past the facts to explain what they mean.
  A friend of the community, Ron earned and kept the trust of his 
neighbors, his co-workers, and public figures, including the subjects 
of his reports. Many view the role of news reporter to be ``watchdog'' 
but this reporter was not one out for cold blood, looking to exploit a 
person or a situation for the ``scoop''. He sincerely believed in 
educating people to improve the community and society as a whole. 
Through his leadership, the Macon Telegraph was known for representing 
all sides of its readership--there was always something for everyone on 
the editorial page.
  Ron was a dedicated worker and a good friend of mine, but I call him 
a hero not only for his years of dedicated service of bringing the news 
home to south Georgia, but for doing his job while waging a ten year 
war against a rare form of cancer. Co-workers at the Telegraph remember 
Ron for pressing on without complaint. Pressing on for Ron meant 
getting the story while enduring more than 15 major and minor 
surgeries, three rounds of chemotherapy, and four courses of radiation. 
To survive ten years of this type of treatment and still get the job 
done takes iron will. Sadly, this invisible assailant overcame our 
soldier and took his life Monday, September 9, 2002.
  Other professional hats of the Editor include college instructor, 
military policeman for the Army during Viet Nam, private investigator, 
and after completing trade school, a welder. But his most important job 
was father of two sons.
  Ron Woodgeard believed in people and they believed in him. I believed 
in him, and I will miss him. My wife Julianne and I extend our deepest 
sympathy to his family, and join with them in celebrating the memory of 
one of Georgia's journalistic heroes. His legacy will live on through 
the millions of lives he touched.

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