[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 75 (Monday, May 19, 2014)]
[House]
[Page H4438]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HONORING THE LIFE OF FRANK MONTGOMERY WOODS, JR.
(Ms. PELOSI asked and was given permission to address the House for 1
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, today, at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco,
hundreds of friends will join the family members to pay tribute to the
life of a great entrepreneur, philanthropist, and gentleman, Frank
Montgomery Woods, Jr.
I rise on the floor of the House to join them in spirit, to share in
the grief of Frank Woods' beautiful family, to celebrate his life and
legacy. With his passing, we have lost not just a good man, but a
remarkable innovator who leaves an indelible mark on California and San
Francisco.
Born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, he spent his childhood in Birmingham,
Alabama, and Nashville, Tennessee, before heading to Cornell
University. After that, he served as a second lieutenant in the Army in
Korea. And from Korea, it was on to Cincinnati, our Speaker's hometown,
where he joined the advertising and marketing department of Proctor &
Gamble. After that, he came to San Francisco to start his own
successful business.
In 1961, he met Kay Harrigan, of Alabama, in San Francisco. They
married a year later in Mobile, and then had three beautiful children:
Dorine, Montgomery, and Alexis.
During the 1960s and 1970s, Frank was deeply involved in politics.
Although a Republican, he was tapped to serve with Ronald Reagan's
``Democrats for Reagan'' gubernatorial campaign. He was tapped again by
Ronald Reagan, in charge of 11 States at the convention, helping to
secure delegates. Reagan lost to Nixon at that time, but Frank went on
to work with Governor Reagan, and my statement for the Record will
describe how.
He went later on to cofound Clos du Bois winery in California, which
was consumer friendly and elegant, a combination that was new. His
leadership in the wine industry was recognized across the country. Over
the years, he chaired the Wine Institute, and in the nineties he
represented the U.S. in negotiations on NAFTA and GATT on the subject
of wine.
In San Francisco, he was a leader of the arts, serving on boards of
the Fine Arts Museum, Young Audiences of San Francisco, and the L.S.B.
Leakey Foundation.
Frank's life will be celebrated today for his accomplished legacy as
an energetic and generous leader. My husband, Paul, and I and our
entire family offer our deepest sympathy for the loss of our dear
friend.
We hope it is a comfort to Kay; their children; their grandchildren;
his brother, Bill; his sister, Rhoda; and all of Frank's family that so
many people across the country and across the world share in their
grief and are praying for them at this sad time.
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