[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 110 (Wednesday, September 7, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1768]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       THE PASSING OF ERIKA HILLS

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                           HON. NANCY PELOSI

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, September 7, 2005

  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, it is with great personal sorrow that I come 
to the floor of the House to remember my friend Erika Hills, who died 
tragically in an automobile accident in Napa Valley on August 17th. 
Today, her family and friends are gathering in Grace Cathedral in San 
Francisco to mourn her passing. I extend my deepest sympathy to her 
husband Austin, her sons Austin and Justin, her father Dr. Max Brunar, 
and her siblings Dieter Mascen and Eva Pongraz of Graz, Austria. Her 
death leaves a void in our lives but her bright light will remain in 
our hearts forever.
  A home design expert, she had owned an antique shop in St. Helena, 
California. Her husband Austin Hills is a founder and partner in Napa 
Valley's Grgich Hills Cellar in Rutherford, California, and a 
descendent of the Hills Bros. Coffee family.
  Erika's exuberance was contagious and elevated all the causes she 
championed. She and her husband were active supporters of the arts; the 
San Francisco Symphony, the San Francisco Opera and the Museum of Modem 
Art. She was generous with her time and her resources and dedicated 
herself to helping people less fortunate than she.
  Erika served on numerous boards and volunteered in many charitable 
organizations. Her support extended from the cultural life of the San 
Francisco Bay Area to Roots of Peace, an international humanitarian 
organization that works to eradicate land mines, returning the land to 
agricultural use.
  Most recently she served on the advisory council of the Land Trust of 
Napa County, Cal Performances in Berkeley, and the Seven Tepees Youth 
Program that helps underprivileged children with their education. She 
and her husband were founding members of the Copia center for wine and 
food in Napa.
  Erika will be missed by all of us fortunate enough to have been 
touched by her life. Her joy, her generosity, as well as her concern 
for children around the world, will long be remembered by all who knew 
her.
  I know I speak for all my constituents when I extend condolences to 
Austin, Austin Jr. and Justin for their heartbreaking loss. My thoughts 
and prayers and those of my husband Paul and the entire Pelosi family 
are with her loved ones at this sad time.

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