[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 27 (Thursday, February 13, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E205]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    REMEMBERING JOHN FERDINANDI, JR.

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. GEORGE RADANOVICH

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 12, 2003

  Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember a resident of 
my district who has made an impact on me, my staff, as well as the city 
of Fresno. His name was John Ferdinandi, Jr.
  John was born in Rochester, NY, the son of Italian Immigrants. In 
1945, he and his family moved to Fresno, CA where John attended San 
Joaquin Memorial High School, Fresno City College, and California State 
University, Fresno, then known as Fresno State. He served for four 
years in the Air Force and married his wife Sally in 1952. He returned 
to Fresno in 1954.
  After thirty years of family and individual business, John retired, 
but found retirement wasn't his strong suit. He began a new career as a 
Property Manager and worked from 1989 to 1999, where his last 
assignment was in Santa Cruz, CA. John retired again in 1999, when he 
and his wife, Sally, decided to return home to Fresno where their 
children and family live.
  In September 1999, when a seven freight car derailment occurred on 
the Burlington Northern Santa Fe tracks near the west end of Browning, 
John took up the challenge to get those tracks moved, which had been 
talked about for 83 years.
  John put together a Board of Directors of community residents, 
secured over 42 supporting agencies, political representatives, 
businesses, individuals and petitioners now totaling over 6,000 
supporters of rail consolidation. On January 14th, 2002, Fresno Mayor 
Alan Autry appointed John to head up his Mayor's Fresno Rail 
Consolidation Task Force.
  The Fresno County Board of Supervisors appointed John to be the 
county's representative on the Fresno County Council of Governments 
Rail Committee. John also was Chairman of the Mayor's Downtown 
Revitalization 3RC Committee (Research, Review & Recommendation). He 
was working to revitalize Downtown Fresno.
  John was a loving man who liked to help out at church, enjoyed 
playing charades, loved to sail and collect lighthouse replicas. He 
enjoyed fragrant flowers and high school father-daughter dances. 
Additionally, my staff and I had the pleasure of working with John's 
granddaughter, Sadie, for four years. John passed away of cancer on 
January 26, 2003. He will be sorely missed.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise to remember John Ferdinandi and all of his 
efforts working on the Fresno Area Rail Consolidation. I urge my 
colleagues to join me in remembering John Ferdinandi.

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