[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 22 (Tuesday, February 12, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E128-E129]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     REMEMBERING EDWARD L. MAXWELL

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. STENY H. HOYER

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 12, 2013

  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I was saddened to learn this week of the 
passing of Edward L. Maxwell, an old friend who was a community

[[Page E129]]

leader in Prince George's County, Maryland. He was 80 years old when he 
lost his battle to cancer on January 29.
  Born in 1932 in Phenix City, Alabama, a stone's throw from Fort 
Benning, Edward dreamed even as a boy of serving his country in the 
U.S. Army. At age 13, he rode a freight train to Washington, DC, with 
his older brother Stephen to chase the dream of a better life, and he 
attended Spingarn High School. In 1950, at age 18, Edward volunteered 
for the U.S. Army and was sent to Korea, where he was wounded in both 
legs and expected to be paralyzed permanently.
  With grit and hard work, Edward spent time in rehab at Walter Reed 
Army hospital and was able to walk again. Following his military 
service, he studied at the Veterans Vocational Institute, the Cortez 
Peters Business School, the LaSalle School of Accounting, and the 
George Washington University. With a penchant for math and a love of 
learning, Edward embarked on a career in business that would eventually 
lead him to become a successful small business owner and founder of the 
Best Value and Allen's Discount retail stores. He started it all by 
selling encyclopedias, vacuum cleaners, and insurance policies--and 
working at fast-food restaurants--until he could afford to start his 
own businesses.
  Later, Edward started other successful businesses, including a casino 
that contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to help individuals 
in the community afford college and pursue opportunities for their 
families. He launched a non-profit to help disabled veterans like 
himself access their earned benefits and find jobs, and he donated so 
much food to the needy over the holidays that, over the years, he 
became known locally as the ``Turkey Man.''
  I first came to know Edward in the 1970s, when I was working as a 
lawyer in Prince George's County. He was a cherished member of the 
community who was not only a man of business but a man of deep faith in 
God and faith in his fellow men and women. Edward was also a loving 
husband, father, grandfather, and uncle.
  Edward married his wife Freida in 1962, and after 50 years together, 
she survives him. So does their daughter Gene and four sons: Kermit, 
Zach, Edward Jr., and Mike. He was also blessed with six grandchildren.
  I join in mourning Edward's passing and in offering my condolences to 
Freida and their entire family. He will be missed by the entire Prince 
George's County community, and his generosity, big heart, and warm 
spirit will be long remembered.

                          ____________________