[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 21 (Tuesday, February 3, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E185]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                        IN HONOR OF DIANE YOUNG

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                             HON. SAM FARR

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 3, 2009

  Mr. FARR. Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the life of Diane 
Young of Pajaro, California. Diane passed away on January 28, 2009 at 
the age of sixty-five, after leaving the Pajaro community a better 
place to live and work. She was an extraordinary community leader who 
needed no official title to make a significant difference in the lives 
of every resident of Pajaro.
  Diane was born on November 25, 1943 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She 
graduated from Southwest High School in Minneapolis. After meeting her 
late husband Pete, they both embarked on a path that would lead them to 
a small Central Coast community that could greatly benefit from their 
generosity of heart and tireless commitment to helping others achieve 
their dreams, particularly the youth of Pajaro.
  In 1983, she launched Young's Tire Service with her husband and son 
in Pajaro, California. Diane Young prided herself on the family 
business, which she maintained and participated in throughout her 
illness. Her old school business habits were rooted in an unshakable 
work ethic. Because she did not rely on computers for her business 
operations, Young's Tire Service was able to continue serving the 
community through the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake and a massive flood 
in 1995. There was never a shortage of customers congregating at the 
shop, and the influx of well wishers following her death speaks to how 
Diane touched the hearts of everyone she met.
  It was Diane's business that became the catalyst for her lifelong 
community activism. After three violent killings, one of which occurred 
right outside her store, Diane decided she wanted to see a safer 
community, one filled with happiness and pride, not fear. She organized 
Together in Pajaro to accomplish this goal. TIP is a nonprofit 
organization that is dedicated to community improvement and safety. 
Diane, along with her late husband Pete, founded Boy Scout Troop 505 15 
years ago, to provide constructive alternatives for youth in Pajaro. 
These two organizations are just a small measure of Diane's dedication 
and contributions to making her community, as well as the lives of 
those who live in it, not only better but more meaningful.
  Madam Speaker, Diane Young touched the hearts of everyone she came 
into contact with, and was a pillar of her community. I am certain I 
speak for the entire House in extending our heartfelt sympathy to 
Diane's two children, her son Pete Young of Pajaro, California and 
daughter Sheliah Young of Oakley, California.

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