[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 74 (Thursday, May 14, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1174-E1175]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING PETER L. LITRENTA

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. SUSAN A. DAVIS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 14, 2009

  Mrs. DAVIS of California. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute 
to Peter L. Litrenta, a husband, father, 25-year Navy veteran and civic 
leader with a passion for San Diego, its waterfront and its people. 
Pete, as he was affectionately known, peacefully passed away in his 
Coronado home on April 22, surrounded by his loving family. He lived a 
full and meaningful life, making countless contributions to San Diego 
and serving as an inspiration and role model to all.
  Pete was born in Racine, Wisconsin on April 25, 1942. He attended the 
University of Notre Dame, earning a BA in Communications in 1964. He 
began his Navy career after graduation, later earning an MA in Public 
Relations from Boston University in 1972.
  Not long after his 23rd birthday, Pete met the love of his life, 
Linda. Theirs was a fairytale romance. Pete and Linda married just four 
months after they first met and celebrated their 43rd anniversary just 
five months ago. While Pete's life took him all over the world, San 
Diego was Pete's home. It is where he and Linda raised their three 
wonderful daughters, Danielle, LyAnne and Katie. Family was Pete's 
first and only true love.
  But Pete did have other passions: Notre Dame football, the United 
States Navy, and San Diego, just to name a few.
  Pete's Navy Career marched alongside history, from the Gulf of Tonkin 
incident to the terrorist bombing of the Marine barracks in Beirut. Mr. 
Litrenta organized Beirut the news bureau, serving as spokesperson for 
the Marines when they landed in 1982. In 1986, he developed and 
implemented the San Diego Rally Against Drugs, mobilizing over 35,000 
people to parade down Broadway to bring awareness to the dangers of 
drug use.
  After retiring from the Navy, Pete worked for the Chamber of Commerce 
and then for the San Diego Port Tenants Association. He became 
intimately involved in nearly all aspects of San Diego's social, civic 
and philanthropic endeavors. Pete's influence on San Diego is 
everywhere. If you watched the Holiday Bowl, Pete helped select the 
teams on the field. If you gazed upon the waterfront, you will see the 
USS Midway Museum, which Pete helped bring to our port. If you saw 
Dennis Conner defend the America's Cup, Pete served on the Organizing 
Committee in charge of media and community relations.
  Whether volunteering or working, Pete was intimately connected to the 
community. He served as President of the San Diego Fleet Week 
Foundation and the Coronado Schools Foundation. Pete was a member of 
the Mayor's BRAC Task Force, served on the Board of the Chamber of 
Commerce, the San Diego USO, the San Diego Convention and Visitors' 
Bureau, the USS Midway Museum, the San Diego Taxpayers' Association, 
and the Holiday & Poinsettia Bowls. At times, it seemed as if

[[Page E1175]]

Pete was everywhere. He touched the lives of many, leaving an imprint 
on all he graced.
  So today I honor Mr. Pete Litrenta. As one of his thousands of 
friends, I join his colleagues, his wife Linda, and their three 
daughters Danielle, LyAnne and Katie, in not only mourning his loss, 
but in celebrating his life. His memorial will be held on board the USS 
Midway Museum, a venue as identifiable with San Diego as Pete.
  He was a pillar of the San Diego community and will be missed by all. 
I am reminded of what Mark Twain said about life:
  ``Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things 
you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. 
Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. 
Explore. Dream. Discover.''
  It's hard to imagine something Pete did not do. He explored the 
world, but found safe harbor in San Diego. He dreamed of brighter 
futures for his family, friends and for the entire San Diego community. 
He discovered his true love and pursued his true passions.
  Madam Speaker, I ask the House observe a moment of silence in honor 
of Mr. Peter L. Litrenta.

                          ____________________