[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 51 (Tuesday, April 20, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E560]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         IN MEMORY OF LEE TOLER

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. SAM FARR

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 20, 2004

  Mr. FARR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Lee Toler, a great man 
who passed away on February 4th, 2004. Lee was a shining example of the 
power one man can have in so many peoples' lives, and without him the 
world is a little dimmer. I offer Velma, his wife, and the rest of 
Lee's family my sincerest condolences.
  Lee came from humble beginnings, as all great men do, but his spirit 
was richer than all the wealth in the world. His life was devoted to 
helping kids in our community and in California avoid the dangerous and 
detrimental effects of drugs and crime. He worked for the benefit of 
individuals and our community, and he did much of it as a volunteer.
  During the 1960s Lee was a school custodian in Seaside, at Portola 
Junior High School, later renamed King Middle School after the 
assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. He became well known for his 
willingness to counsel students who came to him, and began to seek ways 
to help others. His ability as a counselor convinced then Governor 
Reagan to allow him into state prisons to work with inmates. He was 
also a key figure in championing the cause of drug treatment as an 
alternative to imprisonment.
  In 1966 Lee founded Young Adults for Action to offer activities and 
alternatives to drugs, and in 1974 created Young Adults for Action 
Manufacturing Co. This organization recognized that good jobs could 
play a crucial role in discouraging drug use among teens, and he worked 
with local employers to offer jobs to youth and parolees. When these 
non-profits ended Lee continued his mission with Jobs Not Drugs in 
1979, a successful program that continues to this day.
  Lee's extraordinary work has not gone unrecognized. He's been the 
recipient of numerous awards, including the Governor's Award for 
Creative Citizenship, presented by Governor Reagan in 1968. The only 
other person to receive this award during Reagan's administration was 
Bob Hope for his work with soldiers overseas. I also had the 
opportunity to honor Lee twice, once in 1995 and once in 2000, with the 
Congressional Recognition Award.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise once more to applaud Lee Toler's many 
accomplishments. Lee was blessed with the ability to see the goodness 
that existed in everyone, and his life's work was devoted to bringing 
that out in people. While some merely condemn, Lee sought to 
understand. My only regret is that Lee could not be in every school, 
courtroom, and prison in our country, because our society grew greater 
and stronger with every person he touched. He was a remarkable figure 
in our community, and his memory will live on in the many people whose 
lives he has touched. I join the communities of the Monterey Bay, and 
friends and family in honoring this truly admirable man and all of his 
lifelong achievements.

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