[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 40 (Tuesday, March 19, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E327]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       IN MEMORIAM OF RITA VOGLER

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. PAUL COOK

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 19, 2013

  Mr. COOK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of one of my 
constituents, Rita Vogler, who passed away last week from lung cancer. 
A valued member of the Hesperia, California community, Rita formerly 
served as mayor and a city councilwoman. She also furthered the 
interests of the City of Hesperia as an active member of the Hesperia 
Kiwanis Club and the National Federation of Republican Women.
   Rita is just one of 1,660,290 people expected to be diagnosed with 
cancer this year, according to the American Cancer Society's 
statistics. Approximately 580,350 Americans will die of cancer this 
year, or 1,600 people per day. In my home state of California alone, 
57,290 people are expected to die from cancer in 2013.
   I hope Rita's death will remind my colleagues of the importance of 
our continued pursuit of a cure for this terrible disease. At the 
signing of the National Cancer Act of 1971, President Nixon declared 
war on cancer. In that year, 215,000 Americans died from cancer. Yet 
the number of deaths each year has more than doubled to reach the 2013 
prediction, and even when adjusted for population inflation, incidence 
and death rates have not shown the evidence of the nation's efforts to 
eradicate the disease. More Americans continue to die, leaving family 
and friends behind to mourn their losses. In Rita's case, her death 
came barely two weeks after her diagnosis with lung cancer. However, I 
am encouraged by the progress made by researchers every year and hope 
that we continue to see strides forward.
   Rita's friends describe her as kind and sincere, a mentor and 
inspiration to many, devoted to serving her community. She is survived 
by her husband Al and children Rocky and Allise.

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