[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 104 (Wednesday, July 14, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H5558-H5560]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
DAVID JOHN DONAFEE POST OFFICE BUILDING
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and
pass the bill (H.R. 5390) to designate the facility of the United
States Postal Service located at 13301 Smith Road in Cleveland, Ohio,
as the ``David John Donafee Post Office Building''.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 5390
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. DAVID JOHN DONAFEE POST OFFICE BUILDING.
(a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 13301 Smith Road in Cleveland, Ohio, shall
be known and designated as the ``David John Donafee Post
Office Building''.
(b) References.--Any reference in a law, map, regulation,
document, paper, or other record of the United States to the
facility referred to in subsection (a) shall be deemed to be
a reference to the ``David John Donafee Post Office
Building''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Illinois (Mr. Davis) and the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Chaffetz) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Illinois.
General Leave
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their
remarks.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Illinois?
There was no objection.
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may
consume to
[[Page H5559]]
the author of this legislation, the gentleman from Cleveland, Ohio,
Representative Kucinich.
Mr. KUCINICH. I thank my colleague and all Members for their support
of this bill: Mr. Davis, Mr. Chaffetz, and my colleague Ms. Sutton.
Mr. Speaker, I am proud to offer today H.R. 5390, which renames the
post office located at 13301 Smith Road in Cleveland, Ohio, as the
``David John Donafee Post Office Building.'' I would like to thank
Chairman Lynch for his efforts to bring H.R. 5390 to the floor of the
House.
David John Donafee was a lifelong northeast Ohioan who committed his
life to family and community. He was born and raised in Brook Park,
Ohio, and graduated from Polaris High School in Berea.
He served northeast Ohio as a postal carrier for 14 years. His
coworkers knew David for his geniality and positive spirit, his sense
of humor and willingness to go out of his way for anyone. One coworker
remarked, ``He was the guy that made the place a little better.''
David was well known in the local hockey community for his support of
and involvement in his son's youth hockey league. He announced and
scored the games. He was the ``heart of all of the teams,'' according
to his wife, Sandi.
Mr. Speaker, on February 14, 2008, Valentine's Day, David Donafee was
walking his mail route in Parma Heights, Ohio. He was delivering the
mail to people on his route just like he did every other day, but this
day was different. He was struck by a car while in the line of his
duties as a postal worker, as a mail carrier, and he was killed. His
tragic death resounded in the community and resounded with his
coworkers.
He left behind his wife, Sandi, and their two sons, Derek and Liam.
And my thoughts and the thoughts of the people in the community
continue to be with the Donafee family as they adjust to life without
their beloved David.
In honoring David John Donafee by naming a post office building after
him, we actually honor all of those who deliver the mail, showing that
when something like an unexpected tragedy happens, that this Congress
does appreciate the work of those who make it possible for the commerce
of the country to move by virtue of the mail.
{time} 1100
So I ask my colleagues to join me in celebrating the life of David
John Donafee and honoring his legacy. I urge passage of H.R. 5390.
[From cleveland.com, Sept. 4, 2008]
Southwest Brewfest To Benefit Family of Deceased Letter Carrier David
Donafee
(By Damon Sims)
Neither snow nor rain nor gloom of night kept David Donafee
from his appointed rounds.
Nor could a little foul weather keep the 42-year-old letter
carrier from scoring his son's Padua High School hockey
games, or from the Friday night beer-and-bull session with
his buddies at the Brew Kettle Taproom & Smokehouse in
Strongsville.
``It was like `Cheers,' '' said Donafee's wife, Sandi. ``My
husband was kind of the life of the party, but in a quiet,
gentle way.''
That all changed on a gloomy Valentine's Day this year.
Donafee, a postman for 14 years, was making his rounds about
noon when he was struck by a car and killed while crossing
York Road near Valley Forge High School in Parma Heights. The
driver, a 19-year-old Cleveland man, was questioned. No
charges have been filed, and the accident remains under
investigation.
Donafee, of Brunswick, is survived by his wife, Sandi, and
sons, Derek, 15, and Liam, 11. His death also left a void in
the youth-hockey community, with his postal-worker colleagues
and with his friends at the Brew Kettle, who remember him as
a fun and convivial companion.
``He was one of the happiest, most positive people I've
ever met,'' said the Brew Kettle's owner, Chris McKim. ``When
the world loses a grouch, it's sad. When it loses a guy like
Dave, a guy who was always upbeat and always on his A-game,
it's a tragedy.''
The different forces that helped define Donafee's life--
good friends, good music, good beer--are coming together
Saturday for an event designed to honor his memory and help
his family. McKim has organized the first Southwest Brewfest,
a charity craft-beer festival at the Chalet near the
Cleveland Metroparks' toboggan chutes in the Mill Stream Run
Reservation in Strongsville.
The festival will feature beer from brewers in Cleveland's
southern and western suburbs: Brew Kettle, Rocky River
Brewing Co., Cornerstone Brewing Co. and Buckeye Brewing.
Musicians David Fayne, Woody Leffel and the Armstrong
Bearcat Band will provide the soundtrack to the event, which
takes place from 1 to 7 p.m. The $30 ticket will include a
commemorative glass along with 10 four-ounce beer samples.
Proceeds will help the Donafee family with Derek's $8,300
annual tuition at Padua, a Catholic preparatory school in
Parma Heights.
The annual event will also help send Liam, now a sixth-
grader, to Padua. Leftover money will go directly to Padua to
benefit other students.
That would have meant a lot to Donafee, who said Derek's
experience at Padua turned around his son's academic career,
according to McKim, himself a Padua graduate.
Donafee's death didn't escape the notice of the powers-
that-be. Earlier this year, U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich paid
tribute to the mail carrier on the floor of the House. Sandi
Donafee has the congressman's words inscribed on a plaque in
her living room.
``May his life be an example of how we should lead our
own,'' Kucinich told colleagues.
And what would the genial mailman have thought of all the
attention?
``It would have made Dave smile,'' McKim said with a
chuckle.
____
[From cleveland.com, Feb. 14, 2009]
Widow Sandi Donafee of Brunswick Mourns Husband, David, Who Was Killed
on Valentine's Day
(By Stan Donaldson, Plain Dealer Reporter)
Parma Heights.--Sandi Donafee left a handmade valentine
Tuesday on York Road for her husband--a cracked heart.
As cars drove by the poster-size card, a tear rolled down
the cheek of the 43-year-old Brunswick woman's face.
This is where her husband, David, a U.S. postal worker, was
killed last Valentine's Day after he was hit by a car as he
crossed the street while delivering mail.
Since the accident, Donafee, a hairstylist, has had to
raise her two teenage sons without their dad. His postal
brethren, family and friends have worked to help them through
the grieving process.
``I feel like this has been one big nightmare that I
haven't been able to wake up from,'' said Donafee, as she
looked at a two-sided valentine she placed on a telephone
pole. It reads ``Recklessness took my love.''
The valentine includes a photo of the couple smiling.
Police said David Donafee, a 42-year-old father of two, was
hit by Jeff Kluter, 19, as he crossed York near Independence
Street. Donafee was not in a crosswalk.
Kluter was arraigned on misdemeanor aggravated vehicular
homicide charges in November. Kluter has a pretrial hearing
scheduled for Monday.
If convicted, he faces up to six months in jail and a fine
of up to $1,000.
Messages left for Kluter were not returned this week.
Donafee's family and friends are upset because they feel the
Cleveland man should face more time in jail. Sandi Donafee
also wants Parma Heights City Council to reduce the 35 mph
speed limit to 25 mph because it's near Valley Forge High
School and Cuyahoga Community College.
Eric Donafee, 51, said the family will forever be
heartbroken.
He said his kid brother left the steel industry in his mid-
20s to become a postal worker because he thought of it as a
safer career.
____
[From cleveland.com, Feb. 15, 2009]
A Cracked Heart Marks Brunswick Woman's Valentine Pain
(By John Kroll, The Plain Dealer)
Parma Heights.--Sandi Donafee left a hand-made Valentine
Tuesday on York Road for her husband--a cracked heart.
As cars drove by the poster-size card, a tear rolled down
the cheek of the 43-year-old Brunswick woman's face.
This is where her husband David Donafee, a U.S. postal
worker, was killed last Valentine's Day after he was hit by a
car as he crossed the street while delivering mail.
Since the accident, Donafee, a hair stylist, has had to
raise her two teen-age sons without their dad. His postal
brethren, family and friends have worked to help them through
the grieving process.
``I feel like this has been one big nightmare that I
haven't been able to wake up from,'' said Donafee, as she
looked at a two-sided Valentine she placed on a telephone
pole that says ``Recklessness took my love.''
The Valentine includes a photo of the couple smiling.
Police said that Donafee, a 42-year-old father of two, was
hit by Jeff Kluter, 19, as he crossed York near Independence
Street. Donafee was not in a crosswalk.
Kluter was arraigned on misdemeanor aggravated vehicular
homicide charges in November. Kluter has a pre-trial hearing
scheduled for Monday.
If convicted, he faces up to six months in jail and fine of
up to $1,000.
Messages left for Kluter were not returned this week.
Donafee's family and friends are upset because they feel the
Cleveland man should face more time in jail. Sandi Donafee
also wants Parma Heights City Council to reduce the 35 mph
speed limit to 25 mph because it's near Valley Forge and
Cuyahoga Community College.
Eric Donafee, 51, said the family will forever be
heartbroken. He said his kid brother left the steel industry
in his mid 20s to become a postal worker because he thought
of it as a safer career.
[[Page H5560]]
``It happened because [the driver] was negligent,'' his
brother said. ``He broke a lot of hearts and it isn't
right.''
His sister-in-law also wants justice.
``I have tried in my heart to forgive him but I am not
there yet,'' Donafee said. ``I look at what my boys and I
lost . . . it is too hard.''
At the accident site, Donafee was surrounded by some of her
husband's former co-workers from the Middleburg Heights post
office branch where he had worked for 14 years. They stood at
the makeshift memorial and shared stories.
In September, friends held a benefit in Strongsville that
raised money for his sons--ages 16 and 11--to attend Padua, a
Catholic prep school in Parma. Members from the post office
will lay a wreath at his grave today--the family isn't
emotionally ready to go back just yet.
``This shouldn't be a part of the job,'' said Paul Hunt,
who worked with Donafee for more than 10 years. ``You
shouldn't have to worry about getting hit by a car.''
Mr. CHAFFETZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I rise today in support of H.R. 5390 to designate the facility of the
United States Postal Service located at 13301 Smith Road in Cleveland,
Ohio, as the David John Donafee Post Office Building.
I appreciate the good work that my colleague Mr. Kucinich has done on
this and his heartfelt and sincere approach to recognizing this great
gentleman and the tragic situation but also the great life that he led.
Mr. Speaker, it is altogether fitting and proper that we honor Mr.
Donafee by naming this post office in Cleveland for him. It was out of
this post office that he was based.
On February 14, Valentine's Day, 2008, David Donafee was delivering
the mail on foot along his usual route in Parma Heights, Ohio, only
minutes from the post office on Smith Road. As he was crossing York
Road near Independence Boulevard, Mr. Donafee was struck and killed by
a vehicle driving recklessly down the street.
Tragically, the 42-year-old husband and father of two was run over
only blocks from the post office to be named in his memory. Mr. Donafee
was killed on a route that is notorious among local mail carriers for
dangerous drivers. I hope that the tragic circumstances of Mr.
Donafee's death will serve as a call for safer driving on all roads
across our country.
Prior to his career of delivering mail, Mr. Donafee had worked in a
Cleveland area steel mill which he had told family members he felt was
too dangerous of a place to work. His older brothers recall that David
took the job in the post office so that he could have a safer place to
work. Sadly, the 14-year veteran of the postal service couldn't escape
the danger he had tried to get way from.
Mr. Donafee is remembered by his wife as a great father and by
coworkers as a generous man who ``would do anything for you.'' He had a
wonderful sense of humor, and according to fellow mail carriers, he was
the guy that made the place a little better.
An active member of his community, Mr. Donafee was very involved with
his town of Brunswick's youth hockey league.
Mr. Donafee was born on April 29, 1965, in Parma, Ohio. He leaves
behind his wife, Sandi, of almost 18 years, and his two teenage sons,
Derek and Liam. Our heart goes out to this family.
Mr. Speaker, it is proper that we pass this resolution to honor the
memory of David John Donafee. I call on all Members of this House to
support this measure and hope they know that members of the postal
community, the greater postal community, those who work and serve every
day in their lives, if by this small gesture we can remember them and
give some degree of comfort to that family and that we always remember
them.
I yield back the balance of my time, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may
consume to the gentlewoman from Ohio, Representative Betty Sutton.
Ms. SUTTON. I thank the gentleman for the time, and I thank my
colleague, Congressman Kucinich, for his efforts and leadership on this
legislation.
David John Donafee was a 42-year-old letter carrier for the U.S.
Postal Service who lived in the congressional district that I am so
honored to serve. He lived in Medina County, Ohio, in the city of
Brunswick; and, sadly, David was crossing the street while walking his
route when he was fatally hit by a car on February 14, 2008.
David was a devoted husband, a father, a son, a brother, a brother-
in-law and uncle; and he was very involved in the community in
children's hockey.
For 14 years, David delivered the mail; and to paraphrase the U.S.
Postal Service's motto, he went about his life with duty, honor, and
pride. Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night, nor the
winds of change, nor a Nation challenged stayed David from the swift
completion of his appointed rounds. But tragically, a reckless driver
did.
Our hearts remain with Sandi, his wife, his children, and the entire
Donafee family. David's death was a tragedy that should not have
happened. While we are honoring his life by naming the post office
after him, as it should be, we also have a duty to remind drivers to
yield to pedestrians crossing the street. We know that this small
gesture will not close the hole in the Donafee family's hearts, but we
want them to know that we care and we appreciate all that he did for
our community. He connected us, one with another.
With this post office naming, we will remind people of David's noble
service, and we will remind each other of our obligation to look out
one for another.
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the House Committee on Oversight and
Government Reform, I rise in support of H.R. 5390, a bill designating
the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 13301 Smith
Road in Cleveland, Ohio, as the David John Donafee Post Office
Building.
H.R. 5390 was introduced by my colleague, the gentleman from Ohio,
Representative Dennis Kucinich, on May 25, 2010. It was referred to the
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, which ordered it reported
favorably by unanimous consent on June 7, 2010. The measure has the
bipartisan support of 17 Members of the Ohio delegation.
Mr. David John Donafee was a letter carrier for the United States
Postal Service for 14 years. An active member of his community, Mr.
Donafee volunteered with the youth hockey league in his town of Parma,
Ohio. Tragically, he passed way on February 14, 2008, at the age of 42,
after being struck by the driver of a car while delivering mail on his
regular route. He is survived by his wife, Sandi, and two sons, Derek
and Liam.
Mr. Speaker, Mr. Donafee's untimely death during the course of his
duties as a letter carrier is deeply saddening. Let us now pay tribute
to this man's life through the passage of H.R. 5390. I urge my
colleagues to join me in supporting it.
I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 5390.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________