[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 182 (Wednesday, November 30, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2134]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    IN HONOR OF PHILIP SAMUEL HELLER

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DORIS O. MATSUI

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 30, 2011

  Ms. MATSUI. Mr. Speaker, it is with sadness that I rise to honor the 
life of my friend Philip Samuel Heller, who passed away on November 19 
at the age of 81. Phil was not only a good friend of mine and my late 
husband's, but a friend to many families in Sacramento.
  Phil was born on November 16, 1930, in Brooklyn, New York, the son of 
Sidney and Aida Heller. For the better part of four decades, Phil 
managed Sirlin Photographers in Sacramento and photographed many 
Sacramento area families. Phil's career in photography began when he 
worked at Bethlehem Steel in Redding, Pennsylvania, where he was an 
engineer and photographer. He obtained his degree in engineering at 
Lehigh University in Bethlehem and his early career took him to 
Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, where he was a flight 
engineer instructor. Besides photography, one of Phil's passions was 
radio controlled model airplanes, which he enjoyed building, flying, 
and showing off.
  Phil is survived by his wife, Cathie, his children Jeff, Mark, and 
Rana, along with his many grandchildren and great grandchildren.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in paying honor to Philip 
Heller. He leaves behind the lasting legacy of a loving father and a 
photographer whose work hangs in the homes and offices of countless 
people. I hope that his wife Cathie and his family will find comfort in 
the fact that Phil provided so much love and kindness to those of us 
who had the honor to share in his life.

                          ____________________