[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 72 (Thursday, May 20, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E925-E926]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         TRIBUTE TO MR. ROBERT DE LA VINA ON HIS 90TH BIRTHDAY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. RUBEN HINOJOSA

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 20, 2004

  Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a great 
American and one of my constituents, Mr. Robert R. De la Vina. Mr. De 
la Vina's life has been one of dedication. Dedication to his country, 
his community, his family, and his faith. Born in Edinburg, Texas on 
April 9, 1914, Robert De la Vina made a name for himself early in his 
youth as a self taught musician and award winning trumpet soloist. 
After high school, Mr. De la Vina received his Bachelor of Arts degree 
from Texas A&I College in Kingsville, Texas in 1937. It was after this 
period, that he returned to the Rio Grande Valley and started his long 
career in public education.
  After teaching five years, however, his career as an educator was 
interrupted by the call

[[Page E926]]

of World War II. Mr. De la Vina was assigned to the United States Air 
Force and honorably served his country as a staff sergeant and mechanic 
for the B-26 Bomber. Later, he was assigned to B-29 squadrons 
participating in the Pacific Theater and was stationed in Guam and 
Tinian Island. After the war, he returned back to Edinburg and the 
familiar surroundings of the classroom. It was then soon after, Mr. De 
la Vina met and married a fellow educator, Miss Grace Watkins. From 
this loving marriage of 39 years, came one son and three grandsons.
  Robert's dedication to the Edinburg public schools spans more than 
four decades. He served not only as a teacher, but as an Assistant 
Principal and Director of Special Services for the school district. 
After 37 years of commitment to the education and enrichment of the 
children from the Edinburg school district, he retired with numerous 
honors. Within a couple years of his retirement, Mr. De la Vina took 
his vision and passion for public education back to the community and 
ran for School Board Trustee. He served his community as Trustee for 
six years, giving a total of 43 years to the Edinburg School District 
and the community of Edinburg. His legacy and those of fellow De la 
Vina educators in South Texas, however, lives on, as March 23, 1986, 
marked the dedication of De la Vina Elementary School in Edinburg. On 
Robert's 85th birthday, the Mayor of Edinburg officially recognized his 
commitment to the city and people of Edinburg and proclaimed April 9, 
1999: ``Robert De la Vina Sr. Day.''
  Another phase of Robert De la Vina's life has been his devotion to 
his faith. Growing up in one of the founding family's of El Buen Pastor 
Methodist Church in Edinburg, Robert has helped the Church expand from 
the few families that assembled at his father's house to the hundreds 
that congregate today. Robert has actively participated in all phases 
of the Church's activities since his confirmation in 1926, such as 
Board Member, Choir and Youth Director and Sunday school teacher, a 
position he cherished for more than 30 years. Even to this day, Mr. De 
la Vina can be heard performing many of his original religious musical 
compositions on the piano at El Buen Pastor.
  Mr. Speaker, Mr. Robert R. De la Vina, as the oldest living member of 
a family that was designated a ``Bicentennial Family'' in 1976 by the 
American Historical Society, has touched the lives of so many people in 
South Texas. On April 9th of this year, Mr. De La Vina celebrated his 
90th birthday. I urge my colleagues to join me in recognizing his 
dedication to public education and his decades of service to South 
Texas and this nation.

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