[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 85 (Tuesday, June 27, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1291]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 TRIBUTE TO WILLIAM CHRISTOPHER VILLAR

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JEFF MILLER

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 27, 2006

  Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to share with you 
the story of a remarkable young man from Milton, Florida. William 
Christopher Villar, by all surface accounts, was your typical 22 year 
old. He was attending community college with the hopes of one day 
obtaining a degree in business. He was working at a job that he loved 
and he had recently gotten engaged to his long time sweetheart, Heather 
Dieterich. His life was unfolding the way we hope that all of our 
children's lives will eventually unfold.
  Certainly, it was not these things, or even the fact that, as a young 
man, he was actively involved with his church that made him atypical. 
And it was not the fact that he was a star on the basketball court--
making the All-Conference and All-State teams his senior year at 
Central High School in Santa Rosa County--a high school he entered 
after being home schooled for a number of years. Quite simply, it was 
his selflessness and his unyielding love for his family that set him 
apart.
  Chris was the oldest of three boys. As such, he was fiercely 
protective of his younger brothers. There is a story the family tells 
about an accident that happened 12 years ago that illustrates this 
best: Chris and Jacob, his youngest brother, were riding in the back 
seat of their father's car when the driver of an RV, coming over the 
peak of the 1-10 bridge between Santa Rosa and Escambia counties, 
failed to slow down for a disabled vehicle. The RV slammed into the 
Villars' car with enough force to peel the roof back. While we, 
thankfully, will never have to learn what could have happened that 
day--we do know that Chris, in an instinctive moment, grabbed his two 
year old brother Jacob--perched high in his car seat--and threw his own 
10 year old body over him to save him. He didn't think of himself.

  By and large, the people who knew him all said the same things about 
him: He was a good boy and he had been raised right. That is a 
compliment we hear far too infrequently these days, but it is a 
testament to his parents. It should make them proud.
  I wish I could tell you that the story ends there--that this 
exceptional boy will one day become an exceptional man, an exceptional 
husband and an exceptional dad. Unfortunately, on the evening of 
Thursday, June 15th, Christopher Villar's life came to a tragic end 
when a car driven by a drunk driver crashed through the roof of his 
family's home. I am not going to talk about the details of the 
accident, other than to say that it was an avoidable tragedy and a 
sickening reminder of the dangers of driving while under the influence. 
But I will talk about something that happened in the moments before. 
Chris, like so many of us, had been enjoying the NBA playoffs with his 
family. He was a New York Knicks fan but pulled for the Heat in this 
series to pick at his younger brother, Matt. They were ribbing about 
it, as brothers are wont to do, when a loud noise was heard in the 
front yard. Whether it was the sheer instinct of a protective older 
brother, the hand of God, or both, Chris pushed Matt away from himself 
and toward the middle of his room just as the car crashed through the 
ceiling. In an instant, it was over. If any good can be found in this 
tragedy, it is that one life was lost instead of two. Once again, Chris 
hadn't thought of himself.
  Mr. Speaker, these words do nothing to ease the pain the friends and 
family of William Christopher Villar are feeling today. Their void is a 
void that no words can fill. I share them with you because this 
remarkable young man deserves to be remembered, not for the tragic 
accident that took his life, but for the positive impact he had on the 
lives of others.

                          ____________________