[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 30 (Monday, March 4, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E236]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                          HONORING NIELS CHEW

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MIKE THOMPSON

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, March 4, 2013

  Mr. THOMPSON of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and 
pay tribute to Niels Chew of Sonoma County, California, who passed away 
February 25, 2013 with his family at his side.
  Mr. Chew was a loving husband of 58 years to his wife, Susan Wetherby 
Chew. He was a devoted father to his four children and a doting 
grandfather to his nine grandchildren.
  He was a successful businessman, taking a small one-person operation 
and building it into a thriving small manufacturing company employing 
more than 40 people, including those with developmental disabilities.
  Mr. Chew was also active in civic affairs. He was a trustee of the 
Sonoma Valley Unified School District Board where he served as Board 
Chair. He was also on the boards of the Sonoma Valley Hospital 
Foundation, Operation Youth, the Sonoma Overnight Shelter, El Nido Teen 
Center, and Stand by Me, Sonoma Valley's flagship mentoring program.
  He and his wife generously supported Friends in Sonoma Helping, an 
organization providing assistance to residents down on their luck, with 
both their time and their financial resources.
  In recognition of his work in the community, Mr. Chew received 
Sonoma's top service award in 2010 when he was named Alcalde, or 
honorary mayor.
  Mr. Speaker, Niels Chew was proof that one man can make a difference. 
The legacy he leaves will be felt in the Sonoma Valley for decades to 
come. It is therefore appropriate that we pay tribute to him today and 
honor his memory.

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