[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 130 (Friday, August 1, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1670]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E1670]]
                    HONORING MR. JOHN GREGORY ROVEDA

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BARBARA LEE

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 31, 2008

  Ms. LEE. Madam Speaker, I rise today with my colleague, 
Representative Pete Stark, to honor the extraordinary life of Mr. John 
Gregory Roveda of Alameda, California. A lifelong Bay Area resident and 
significant leader in our community, John passed away in his home on 
June 4, 2008.
  Mr. Roveda was born February 19, 1938 in Richmond, California. He 
graduated from the esteemed St. Mary's College High School in Berkeley 
in 1955, and then went on to attend the University of San Francisco 
(USF). There he became a founding member of the Gamma Omicron chapter 
of Delta Sigma Pi, International Business Fraternity. John was also 
involved in the Army ROTC program at USF. In 1961, John graduated with 
a degree in Business Administration and went on to attend the New York 
Institute of Finance, where he completed coursework in stock exchange 
and brokerage office procedure, and worked as a stockbroker.
  Upon returning to the Bay Area, John joined his family's business, 
United Beverage Distributors, Inc., located in Oakland, California. His 
grandfather, Joseph Roveda, founded the company in 1933, making John 
the third generation Roveda to become president of the family business.
  In 1990 John was admitted to the California State Bar and began to 
practice law in Alameda. He periodically served as Judge Pro Tempore, 
and in 1997 was qualified as an attorney and counselor of the United 
States Supreme Court. In addition, he was a member of the Italian 
American Bar Association.
  Mr. Roveda was extremely dedicated to his community, and to the 
successful growth of the Greater Bay Area.
  He served as president of the Athenian-Nile Club as well as the 
Alameda Boys and Girls Club. He was a member of the Design Review Board 
and Planning Board for the city of Alameda and a committee member of 
the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame. Mr. Roveda's involvement spans a long 
list of other organizations including the One-Hundred Club, Alameda 
Elks Lodge, the Rotary Club of Alameda, the Porsche Club of America, 
UNICO, and the Oakland Council of the Navy League.
  A true Bay Area resident, Mr. Roveda had a lifelong love of the ocean 
and sailed in the Trans Pacific Yacht Race in 1975. He served as 
commodore of the Golden Gate Yacht Club and was a member of the Encinal 
Yacht Club. Mr. Roveda also participated in the Newport-to-Ensenada 
Yacht Race annually.
  An energetic attorney, businessman, and family man, Mr. Roveda had an 
inexhaustible spirit and was widely known for his humor and joy for 
life in our community. Mr. Roveda will be sorely missed. However, we 
are thankful for the opportunities he gave us to come together and 
celebrate the hope and love in our lives.
  John was a dedicated father, husband, and friend to many. Today, 
California's 9th and 13th Congressional Districts salute and honor Mr. 
John Gregory Roveda. We extend our deepest condolences to his family, 
especially his wife of 28 years, Judith, his four children, Christine, 
Michelle, Jay, and John, his sons-in-law Matthew and Andrew, his nephew 
Stephen, and his granddaughters Hayley and Evelyn. His legacy will 
surely carry on through the lives of his loving family and friends. May 
his soul rest in peace.

                          ____________________