[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 41 (Thursday, March 13, 2003)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E476] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] HONORING THE LIFE OF SAM KARAS ______ HON. SAM FARR of california in the house of representatives Thursday, March 13, 2003 Mr. FARR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Sam Karas. He passed away on February 26, in Monterey, California. He was an actor, an activist, a salesman, a storyteller, a singer, a dancer, a father, a husband and most notably, a friend. He is survived by his wife, Edie, his three daughters Penelope Lockhart, Judith Karas, and Rachel Holz, and four grandchildren. Sam was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, by a poor family of Greek immigrants. Growing up he loved three things: ``The Shadow'' pulp novels, apple pie and basketball. Upon graduating from high school, he moved to Monterey to serve as a 2nd lieutenant in the United States Army during World War II. Despite lacking a college education, Sam was able to quickly rise to the rank of 1st lieutenant, and his enrollment in the armed services was the beginning of what would be a lifelong dedication to public service. Among others, Sam served on the board of trustees of the Monterey Peninsula Unified School District and was one of the original organizers and board members of the Human Rights Commission. Sam also served with the California Coastal Commission, the Natividad Medical Center Foundation, the Monterey Jazz and Pop Festivals, the Wharf Theater, the Monterey Film Commission, the California Film Commission, and the Monterey Peninsula College board of trustees. In addition, the ACLU, the NAACP, Monterey County, the Sierra Club, and the Carmel Meat Company, which he founded, have honored him. Sam started this small meat company shortly after marrying his wife Edie in Monterey in 1944, and he sometimes cooked large pots of stew for the homeless along the railroad tracks. Owning this company gave him many other opportunities to reach out to the homeless, a cause that remained close to him over the next half a century and spurred him to become entrenched in the Monterey community. It was frequently said that Sam represented the wrong communities of Monterey County, as he was mostly concerned with issues such as poverty and health care--issues pertinent to the Salinas Valley, not the Monterey Peninsula. Sometimes the trivial complaints of his constituents bothered him, but that was Sam's character: he wanted to help the people that truly needed helping. A smooth-talking, glad- handing politician he was not. Sam often came at his opponent with disheveled hair, fraying suits and sweaters, and a penchant to comment bluntly, but he never shied away from confrontation. He had an innate sense of right and wrong, and he pursued justice doggedly. He wanted the best for everybody. The Central Coast of California has mountains and beaches, but on behalf of this House, I wish to celebrate the life of Sam Karas: a man whose spirit made Monterey County a scenic paradise and a more just society. ____________________