[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 10 (Wednesday, February 1, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E44]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO GENE BENEDETTI

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. LYNN C. WOOLSEY

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 1, 2006

  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a community friend, 
Gene Benedetti, of Petaluma, CA, who died on January 13, 2006. Gene's 
larger than life personality, his generosity, civic pride, and business 
leadership will be greatly missed.
  Gene was born in a small Sonoma County farmhouse in 1919. He was the 
youngest child of Italian immigrants, whose family labored in the 
ranching traditions of rural Northern California. A gifted student and 
talented athlete, Gene excelled in every subject while attending 
Petaluma High School, Santa Rosa Junior College, and the University of 
San Francisco. He was a legend on the football field throughout his 
college career, and later helped establish and coach the Petaluma 
Leghorns, a powerhouse semipro football team that dominated the Bay 
Area leagues that existed in the 1940s and 50s.
  A true patriot of ``the Greatest Generation,'' Gene was a World War 
II hero who landed on Omaha Beach during the D-Day invasion and was 
awarded the Silver Star for his bravery. His love for his country was 
persistently expressed, as he proudly led the singing of ``God Bless 
America'' at any social event he attended.
  After returning from the war, Gene and his wife Evelyn, who passed 
away in March of 2004, raised their six children in a community they 
would later help to build. The young war veteran was first offered a 
job as assistant manager of the California Cooperative Creamery in 
Petaluma, and then quickly rose to the ranks of manager. Later in his 
career, he and his business partners would purchase the Clover and 
Stornetta dairies and establish Clover-Stornetta Farms in 1977.
  Gene's legacy, however, will be marked by his abiding commitment to 
the community he was such a part of. As a lifelong resident of Sonoma 
County, Gene devoted his time serving on numerous boards and 
commissions. As president of Clover-Stornetta Farms, he lent his 
company's resources to endorse countless organizations and sponsor many 
local events. His legacy will also survive in the generations of Sonoma 
County children who will grow up drinking Clover brand milk and 
savoring Clover ice cream. And of course, who can forget Gene's alter 
persona, cartoon character, television and billboard star, the beloved 
Clover Dairy mascot, Clo the Cow. Through Clo, Gene's lively spirit 
will live on, as he will be remembered as a real ``moooover and 
shaker.''
  Gene was a loving husband, caring father and grandfather, and a 
patriarch of Sonoma County. Mr. Speaker, I want to take the time to 
recognize the life of a wonderful man. The memory of Gene Benedetti 
will live forever in the heart of a community he helped to build.

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