[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 152 (Wednesday, September 24, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1868]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      IN HONOR OF JOHN J. ROBOTTI

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. SAM FARR

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 23, 2008

  Mr. FARR. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor a remarkable man and 
my friend, Mr. John J. Robotti. Sadly, John passed away this year on 
May 6. I mourn him as does his wife, Marion; his sisters, Rose Carbo 
and Florence Stevens; his brother, William Robotti; and his many nieces 
and nephews.
  I first met John through his wife, Marion, who is a community 
activist and all-around get-it-done kind of person. It came as no 
surprise to me that Marion would have married a guy like John--he also 
was someone who could not sit still. He just had to be doing something. 
But for him ``doing something'' was making a contribution to his 
family, his community, and his Nation.
  In fact, John served 65 years in service to the country in one form 
or another. It started with his enlisting in the Army in 1941 and 
continued through 2006 when he finally retired from Federal service. If 
he wasn't serving in the public sector, he didn't feel like he was 
giving enough.
  John entered Officer Candidate School in 1943. His tours of duty for 
the Army included Europe, Asia, and the United States. He was sent to 
Paris, France, and in 1950 he met his future wife Marion, who he later 
married in Palo Alto, California, in 1953. In 1960, he was selected as 
the executive officer of the Squaw Valley Olympic Games, which were 
enormously successful. In 1961, he retired with the rank of major from 
20 years of active duty while stationed at Fort Ord, California. He 
also served as chief of the Consolidated Supply Section of G4.
  As a civilian, John became a G4 logistical services officer at Fort 
Ord. Later, he was the administrative officer, chief of maintenance, 
and housing manager at Fort Ord. When he retired, John was the director 
of logistics at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California. 
His civilian career spanned 45 years.
  Throughout his years as a civil servant, John received many well-
deserved honors. In 1991, he was given the Meritorious Civilian Service 
Award. In 1994 and 1995, respectively, he received the Achievement 
Medal for Civilian Service and the Exceptional Service Award. In 1996, 
he was honored with a 55 Year Award for exceptional Federal service.
  Madam Speaker, it is my pleasure to honor John J. Robotti, a man who 
loved his country, his chosen field of endeavor, his home, and his 
family.

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