[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 137 (Wednesday, November 12, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1538-E1539]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        HONORING VINCE CALLAHAN

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. FRANK R. WOLF

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 12, 2014

  Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Virginia Delegate 
Vincent F. Callahan, Jr., who passed away on September 20th, 2014, at 
the Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington, Virginia.
  Vince represented Virginia's 34th District in the Virginia General 
Assembly for nearly four decades. During his tenure on the 
Appropriations Committee, he worked tirelessly on important regional 
projects for his constituents in McLean and Arlington. He was always 
willing to work across the aisle to find compromise and get things 
done.
  Vince's many legislative accomplishments include supporting the 
growth of George Mason University and the Dulles Corridor, as well as 
securing state funds for public spaces, like Wolf Trap. The northern 
Virginia we know today would not exist if it were not for Vince and his 
outstanding statesmanship in the Virginia General Assembly. The region 
owes him a debt of gratitude for his faithful and effective service.
  Vince was a man of strong convictions and the highest moral 
character. He was a true Virginia gentleman, family man and a loyal 
friend; he will be sorely missed by his family, friends and community. 
Vince is survived by his wife Yvonne, eight children, 22 grandchildren 
and two great-grandchildren.
  I respectfully submit Vince's obituary from The Fairfax Times and ask 
my colleagues to join me in honoring Vince's life and achievements.

                [From FairfaxTimes.com, Sept. 26, 2014]

                     Callahan's Legacy Burns Bright

       Fairfax County lost one of its true statesmen--and untold 
     amounts of institutional knowledge--when longtime state 
     legislator Vince Callahan died last Saturday from 
     complications related to West Nile virus.
       Callahan, who represented McLean in the Virginia House of 
     Delegates from 1967 to 2008, will best be remembered as 
     someone who cared deeply about Northern Virginia and spent 
     more than half his life fighting for his district, his 
     constituents and for Virginia.
       It's hard to travel through Fairfax County today and not 
     see Callahan's fingerprints on many key institutions and 
     roadways. He was critical in drumming up dollars and support 
     for George Mason University and Northern Virginia Community 
     College; many Fairfax residents could locate either school on 
     a map. He championed Wolf Trap National Park for the 
     Performing Arts when many others viewed the project as a 
     waste of money and land. He was instrumental in establishing 
     Georgetown Pike as a scenic byway, fending off intense 
     pressure to four-lane the road through Great Falls and parts 
     of McLean.
       He also played a lead role in establishing the Dulles Toll 
     Road, erecting sound walls along Interstate 495 and sparking 
     commercial development on the Dulles corridor.
       Callahan's list of accomplishments goes on and on, fueled 
     mostly by a calm, inclusive leadership style rarely seen in 
     today's General Assembly.
       In an era of partisan bickering and political gamesmanship, 
     Callahan built his career on putting people ahead of party 
     and solving old problems rather than creating new ones.

[[Page E1539]]

     He was keenly aware that he worked at the behest of those in 
     the 34th House district--not the other way around. A lifelong 
     Republican, he went to Richmond each winter focused on 
     improving the lives of his constituents in McLean, Arlington 
     and other parts of Virginia. That often meant crossing the 
     aisle and working with Democrats to pass critical 
     legislation. It also meant standing up to lawmakers in his 
     own party when they were pushing policy harmful to his 
     district.
       In the midst of yet another expensive, attack-oriented 
     election cycle, Vince Callahan's passing should serve as a 
     reminder that there's always going to be a place for people 
     with firm spines, positive ideas and good intentions.

                          ____________________