[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 137 (Monday, December 6, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2149]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     HONORING JOHN AND JULIA KOMAI

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. NICK SMITH

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, December 6, 2004

  Mr. SMITH of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor John and 
Julia Komai of Jackson, Michigan.
  Born in Liberia, both John and Julia have dedicated their lives to 
improving the plight of Liberians and restoring peace and democracy to 
Liberia.
  John first came to the United States in the 1950's to attend Spring 
Arbor High School and later Spring Arbor College. He completed degrees 
at Greenville College in Greenville, Illinois; Chicago State University 
in Chicago, Ill; McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago, Illinois; 
and Loyola University Graduate School of Education. An ordained 
Presbyterian Minister, Dr. Komai was Pastor-at-Large and Supervisor of 
Missions for the Community Presbyterian Church in Libera, as well as 
Founder and President of Jobai International Development Corporation to 
support mission development. In 1984, Dr. Komai was appointed to the 
Ministry of Education, and served as the Director of the World Bank and 
African Development Bank education projects for the Republic of 
Liberia.
  Born in Zlehtown, Liberia, June 7, 1947, Julia grew up there and in 
Monrovia. A strident and outspoken believer in the dignity of all 
people, she was jailed as a political prisoner in 1979 for speaking out 
against human rights abuses committed by then-President William 
Tolbert. She was freed in 1980 when Samuel Doe came to power. Julia 
served as the Assistant Director of the African Unity Conference Center 
from 1982 to 1990. She and John fled Liberia during the coup-de-etat of 
1989, walking 300 miles to reach Sierra Leone, surviving on grass and 
sleeping wherever they could.
  Julia passed away suddenly on November 23, 2004 in an automobile 
accident. She will be forever remembered for her generous spirit and 
enthusiasm for life. In the face of hardships most Americans cannot 
begin to imagine, she persevered. Hers is a story of hope and boundless 
optimism, of dedication to ideals greater than herself. She loved her 
native land and hoped to return there someday.
  I am proud to join the many friends and admirers of John and Julia 
Komai in recognizing their dedication to the restoration of peace and 
democracy to their homeland of Liberia. I extend my condolences to 
Julia's family and friends. May she rest in peace, and may her memory 
live on in those whose lives she touched.

                          ____________________