[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 25 (Wednesday, February 15, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E201]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                       IN HONOR OF DR. JEFF BRAFF

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. SAM FARR

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 15, 2012

  Mr. FARR. Mr. Speaker, I rise before you today to recognize the life, 
career, and public service of Dr. Jeff Braff. Dr. Braff passed away on 
January 16th. He will be remembered for his optometric services to the 
city of Salinas, his contribution to political change in the Central 
Coast of California, and as my personal friend and doctor.
  Jeff grew up working in his father's contact lens laboratory in 
Arcadia, California. He attended the University of California at 
Berkeley where he earned a degree in optometry in 1964. After 
graduating, he traveled to India where he helped set up the country's 
first contact lens fabricating laboratory.
  After returning to the United States, Jeff was drafted in to the US 
Army and served as an optometrist at the Fort Ord military base. He 
completed his military service in 1972 and moved to Salinas where he 
practiced optometry for the next 37 years.
  As the representative for the California Optometric Association and 
the Monterey Bay Optometric Association, Jeff played an invaluable role 
in local politics in the Central Coast of California. Jeff volunteered 
for many political campaigns, including for Leon Panetta's first 
election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1976 and my own run in 
1976 for the Monterey County Board of Supervisors. Jeff was also 
instrumental in drawing support for several political campaigns in 
Bainbridge Island, Washington.
  His ability to draw support to local elections and political change 
earned him a following. ``Jeff's Group'' became an informal name given 
to those he could count on to show up and wave signs, hand out coffees, 
and recruit neighbors to support the many causes he was involved in.
  In a document entitled ``How I Want to be Remembered'' Jeff wrote: 
``Between being born and dying, he didn't take some things seriously 
that should have been, took some things seriously that shouldn't have, 
was getting the hang of love, and anger, and play, and all that; he 
tinkered with life, and did OK.''
  Mr. Speaker, it is with great pain that I announce the passing of 
Jeff. I would like to personally acknowledge his service to the people 
of California. It was the relationships that he fostered at his 
practice that kept him invigorated and loving his work. I would like to 
express my deepest condolences to Sue, his loving wife of 36 years, his 
son, Zack and his brother, Brian.

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