[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 121 (Friday, August 5, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1504]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            A TRIBUTE IN HONOR OF THE HONORABLE RON SWEGLES

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                           HON. ANNA G. ESHOO

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, August 5, 2011

  Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of 
The Honorable Ron Swegles, a highly distinguished constituent, former 
Mayor and Vice Mayor, a dedicated City Councilman, a cherished friend 
and a beloved member of his community of Sunnyvale, California.
  Ron Swegles passed into eternal life on July 20, 2011, at the age of 
67. He blessed us all with his presence and his devotion to the people 
of Sunnyvale. He was a committed family man and is survived by his wife 
Gail, his five children, nine grandchildren and one great-
granddaughter.
  Ron Swegles graduated from Wayne Memorial High School in Wayne, 
Michigan, and shortly thereafter, he joined the U.S. Navy, serving from 
1962 to 1966. After his military service, Ron attended Cleary 
University. In 1984, he moved his family to the Bay Area and made the 
Peninsula his new home.
  Ron was a friend to everyone. He was well known in the community for 
always wanting to help others. He was a mentor to many Bay Area 
residents, which led him to seek local office. He was first elected to 
the Sunnyvale City Council in 2003 and he served as the City's Vice 
Mayor from 2004 to 2005, and as its Mayor from 2005 to 2006. Ron was a 
member of the City's Planning Commission, the Downtown Planning 
Committee, the Parks and Recreation Commission, and the Senior Advisory 
Committee. He was a graduate of both Leadership Sunnyvale and the 
Sunnyvale Public Safety Community Academy, and he served as a board 
member for the Sunnyvale Chamber of Commerce.
  Ron prized the value of civic service, dedicating his time to every 
aspect of local government. He was a member of the Military Affairs 
Council since 2004; the Moffett Restoration Advisory Board from 2004 to 
2007; the Santa Clara Valley Water District Water Commission since 
2008; the California Housing and Community Development Commission; and 
the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority Policy Advisory 
Committee. He was also a member of the Onizuka Local Redevelopment 
Authority and Citizens Advisory Committee for Base Closure, working 
toward a reuse plan that would convert the closing of Onizuka Air Force 
Station to an area that would continue to benefit Sunnyvale and the 
surrounding communities.
  Ron was honored for his service on numerous occasions, including 
being named Sunnyvale Rotarian of the Year in 2003 by the Sunnyvale 
Rotary Club. One of Ron's greatest joys was when he was serving as a 
Director of Leisure Ministries at Los Altos United Methodist Church. 
Apart from his community service, Ron's professional career with 
Brandenburg Staedler & Moore spanned more than 21 years as their 
Community Advisor.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask the entire House of Representatives to join me in 
honoring the extraordinary fife and accomplishments of Ron Swegles and 
extend our sympathy to his family and friends whom he loved so much. 
His decades of contributions to his community and his country stand as 
lasting legacies of a life lived well. How privileged I am to have 
known this wonderful man and to have had him as a colleague and a 
friend. Those of us who knew him will miss him deeply, and his life 
stands as a testament to what it means to be a community leader and a 
true patriot.

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