[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 70 (Tuesday, June 6, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1014-E1015]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       IN HONOR OF STEPHEN MAGYAR

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. SAM FARR

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 6, 2006

  Mr. FARR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of my close 
friend Stephen Magyar. Steve passed away in Monterey on March 29 after 
a long life full of accomplishments and service to his community. He 
was known as an outgoing and friendly man, the first to greet you on 
the street and always ready to tell a good story or funny joke.
  Steve grew up in Detroit and stayed there until he enlisted in the 
Army to fight in the Second World War. He left the snow of Detroit to 
serve in the heat of the Pacific at Christmas Island. After the war he 
was stationed at Camp Callan north of La Jolla, CA, where, after being 
pressured to go on a blind date, he met a girl named Peggy. This girl 
became the love of his life for the next 62 years. His last stop as an 
active duty member of the U.S. Army was in my district at Fort Ord.
  He retired from the Army 20 years later and moved on to his own 
business, the Stephen G. Magyar Co. The company started out of his 
garage in 1947 and he was always proud to say that his first customer 
was Bing Crosby. Steve left his business to work for Mary and Robert 
Littlefield in building their Monterey Savings and Loan branch office 
at the former Jefferson Hotel in downtown Salinas. Always a quick 
thinker and great decision maker, Steve came up with an idea to get 
some customers in the door. He decided to raffle off an airplane, and 
the idea worked. He had traffic backed up for blocks in both directions 
as drivers stopped to look at the plane in the parking lot.
  Involved throughout his community, Steve was able to make quite an 
impact. He also looked into public service through involvement in the 
State senate, but was defeated by someone I must admit I would have 
voted for, my father Fred Farr.
  Today I extend my condolences to his wife Peggy, his two sons Rodger 
and Jeff, and cherish the memory of this great man.

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