[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 71 (Monday, May 11, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1113]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       IN TRIBUTE TO PERRY LUNTZ

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                          Monday, May 11, 2009

  Mrs. MALONEY. Madam Speaker, with great sadness and affection, I rise 
to pay tribute to a dear friend, Perry Luntz, who passed away in April. 
Perry was an author, journalist and marketer who served on his 
community board, became President of his local political club and 
actively participated in numerous political campaigns. I was privileged 
to have known him, and I will miss him deeply.
  Perry was a lifelong civic activist. He served for many years as a 
member of Community Board 6 in Manhattan, and was President of the 
Eleanor Roosevelt Democratic Club. Perry was actively involved in 
numerous political campaigns, including Freddy Ferrer's two 
unsuccessful runs for Mayor of the City of New York and Eugene 
Nickerson's campaign for county executive in Nassau County (Nickerson 
served from 1962 to 1970 and was the only Democrat to win that office 
until 2001). Perry was also a volunteer literacy teacher. During the 
Vietnam War, he participated in several protests and had the misfortune 
to be tear-gassed at a rally in Washington, DC.
  Public service was Perry's passion, but his career was as a 
journalist and marketing specialist. In one way or another, Perry was 
involved with the beverage alcohol business for most of his adult life. 
For more than a decade, he served as Director of Marketing 
Communications (a term he coined) for Seagram Distillers, and 
subsequently worked on the creative side of several advertising 
agencies, including a stint as a creative director of a Young & Rubicam 
division. For several years he headed his own marketing communications 
agency. For more than 20 years Perry was publisher and editor of 
``Beverage Alcohol Market Report,'' an international e-letter for beer, 
wine, and spirits executives. He was Senior Editor and columnist for 
the Beverage Media groups of trade magazines.
  Perry believed in moderation, maintaining that spirits should be 
appreciated for their gustatory delights. When he was interviewed about 
Irish whiskey he admonished: ``It's supposed to be enjoyed, to be 
savored. It's not meant to be guzzled.'' Perry served as Chair of The 
Wine Media Guild and was a member of the Society of Professional 
Journalists. At age 80, in November 2007, Perry published his first 
book, Whiskey and Spirits for Dummies, which has been translated into 
both German and Spanish. The book takes readers on a journey into the 
rich heritage and diverse taste profiles of different spirits from 
around the globe, tracing the origins of whiskey, rum, brandy, vodka, 
gin and tequila, among others, explaining how they are made, and 
showing the reader how to evaluate, serve and enjoy them.
  Tragically, while suffering from lung cancer and a broken hip, Perry 
contracted Legionnaire's Disease at a skilled nursing /subacute 
rehabilitation facility where he was recuperating. As required by law, 
the New York City Department of Health has reported his illness to the 
New York State Department of Health, which oversees such facilities. 
When I first met Perry, he was deeply involved in efforts to improve 
conditions at a variety of facilities in my district, and he always had 
a profound sense of empathy for the disadvantaged. It would, therefore, 
be particularly fitting for so dedicated an activist if his last 
illness were to become the impetus for improved conditions at nursing 
homes in general.-----
  Born in Brooklyn in 1927, Perry graduated from Boys High (now known 
as Boys and Girls High) and went on to earn a degree in marketing from 
New York University. Perry served with the 473rd Air Service Group in 
Berlin at the end of World War II and was awarded the Army of 
Occupation Medal and the World War II Victory Medal. Perry is survived 
by his wife Carol Ann Rinzler, two sons, Ira and Russell, and two 
grandchildren, Eli and Ari. His son, Lloyd, predeceased him.
  Madam Speaker, I ask my distinguished colleagues to join me in 
recognizing the many achievements of Perry Luntz, an informative author 
and journalist, creative ad man, committed community activist and 
exceptional human being who cared deeply about his community and sought 
to improve the world around him. He will be profoundly missed.

                          ____________________