[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 31 (Tuesday, March 5, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E242]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




HONORING LARRY DOBKIN AND ``TUNED IN: THE LARRY DOBKIN MUSIC SHOWCASE''

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. BRADLEY S. SCHNEIDER

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, March 5, 2013

  Mr. SCHNEIDER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor my friend Larry 
Dobkin. The world sometimes has a cruel way of taking the best among 
us, and Larry was one of the best. In September, he succumbed after a 
noble battle with cancer. He left behind a wife, Nanci and three kids, 
Alex, Carlie and Sydnie. But Larry's loss was felt far beyond his 
immediate family. That was Larry's gift--we all felt like family.
   Perhaps never have I met another person so fiercely loyal, devoted 
and loving. If you were a friend--and Larry considered pretty much 
everyone a friend--then Larry would work himself to exhaustion for you. 
He made a recruiting visit to his beloved University of Illinois law 
school even as he was battling late-stage cancer. From his hospital 
bed, Larry still advocated on behalf of young lawyers in his firm and 
the children of friends.
   I had the privilege of knowing Larry through many lenses, from Aitz 
Hayam, to the Jewish Federation, to Response Center and Nachshon. His 
passion for Israel was second to none. On countless trips to Israel, 
Larry touched countless more people overseas. The Jewish community lost 
a giant. We all did.
   He thought deeply about the world and religion and family and 
community. Conversations with Larry always sought the highest ground, 
and they always focused on making the world safer, making it better for 
the next generation.
   One of Larry's greatest endeavors was his support for Response 
Center, which provides outreach, counseling and sexual health services 
to teens and their families. For those of us who knew Larry, this isn't 
a surprise: it's helping kids. In recognition of his peerless efforts, 
Response Center has created an endowment in his honor and--perhaps even 
more to Larry's liking--they renamed their annual teen music showcase 
in his memory. From this year forward, it will be ``Tuned In: The Larry 
Dobkin Music Showcase.''
   Now, Larry will be responsible for helping support young people and 
their families. I can't think of anything he'd want more, and I know 
that somewhere Larry is bear-hugging everyone in sight, not because 
he's proud of a personal achievement, but because his mission 
continues.
   Though we miss him with all our hearts, our lives are immeasurably 
better for having shared a lot of his life together. We have to 
dedicate ourselves to working tirelessly, every single day, working 
ourselves to exhaustion and beyond because there's a void that Larry 
left. As we continue to grieve, we continue to work. Larry never 
stopped and neither can we.
   Larry, I miss you. We all miss you.

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