[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 117 (Friday, September 24, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1707]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     PAYING TRIBUTE TO PETE LARSON

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. SCOTT McINNIS

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 23, 2004

  Mr. McINNIS. Mr. Speaker, it is with a heavy heart that I rise to 
mourn the death of Pete Larson, who was killed in an all-terrain-
vehicle accident while conducting land health assessments for the 
Bureau of Land Management near Grand Junction, Colorado. Pete was an 
active, enthusiastic individual, who loved his job and was a loyal 
friend to Colorado's Western Slope. I am honored to stand here today 
before this body of Congress and this nation to celebrate his life and 
recognize his many accomplishments.
  Pete married Rita Graham in 1966, and they raised their family in 
Grand Junction, where Pete was very active in the community. He taught 
science for twenty-nine years at Grand Junction High School where his 
natural curiosity and wide-ranging interests allowed him to connect 
with students of every personality. His students recall his enthusiasm 
for explaining chemistry, physics, biology and botany to generations of 
Grand Junction students.
  Pete was always ready to help a friend or a stranger and willingly 
shared his knowledge of the environment. He knew its plants and its 
animal inhabitants, its soils and its water, its weather and its moods. 
Pete's love of the land and the people of Mesa County led him to 
continue his service to others as he worked to combat tamarisk while 
working at the Colorado National Monument. He was instrumental in 
creating the Tamarisk Coalition and served on their board of directors. 
After ten years of dedication to the National Park Service, Pete took a 
job as a biological technician for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) 
field office in Grand Junction where he worked for three years before 
his unfortunate accident on August 2, 2004.
  Mr. Speaker, I am honored to call the attention of this body of 
Congress to the life of Pete Larson. He always had a bright outlook on 
life and his curiosity and love of learning inspired those who knew 
him. The Grand Junction community and the State of Colorado are a 
better place as the result of his many contributions. Pete was a great 
man who dedicated his life to helping others, and I know that he will 
be sorely missed. My thoughts and prayers go out to his wife Rita, his 
two daughters Kristen Kasel and Kari Larson, and his son Tor Larson at 
this difficult time of bereavement.

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