[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 144 (Monday, December 1, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1680]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF THE HONORABLE JOHN H. LAND

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JOHN L. MICA

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, December 1, 2014

  Mr. MICA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a great 
American, the former City of Apopka, Florida Mayor and a wonderful 
friend, John H. Land. John passed away Saturday, November 20, 2014. I 
have had the honor to work with Mayor Land for over four decades during 
his public service as Mayor.
  As Mayor of Apopka for 61 years, John was one of the longest-tenured 
public officials in the nation. He proudly served his community and was 
committed over the decades to make a positive difference in the lives 
of all those he was elected to serve.
  Mayor Land was born in Plant City, Florida. He attended the 
University of Florida until World War II, when he signed up for the 
Army, serving under Gen. George S. Patton in Europe.
  Following his return, John worked in his family's mill, Consumers 
Lumber and Veneer Company, and later won election in 1949 as Mayor of 
Apopka, a small Florida city that boasted a mostly rural population of 
2,254. Over the next six decades as mayor, Apopka grew to a population 
of over 45,000 with a diversified tax base.
  Over his many years in Public Service, faith was always deeply 
important in the life of Mayor Land. He loved his family, community and 
country. He was a spiritual leader and deacon at the First Presbyterian 
Church. I, and many others, sought his council.
  American history was another passion that Mayor Land and I shared. As 
a fitting tribute to Mayor Land, the Tri-County League of Cities 
renamed its Lifetime Achievement Award, on the evening before his 
passing on November 21, 2014, as the Mayor John H. Land Award, of which 
he was the first recipient.
  For his tireless work on behalf of thousands of Central Floridians, I 
ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the life and legacy of Apopka 
Mayor John H. Land. What a great privilege it has been to work with 
him. I extend my deepest sympathies to his wife, Betty; their children, 
Suzanne Larkin, Cathy Waters and John Land, Jr.; and John's many 
grandchildren.
  Mayor John H. Land's final resting place is Greenwood Cemetery in his 
beloved city. He will always be remembered as one of the key architects 
who helped lay the foundation for Apopka's growth and success. I asked 
my colleagues today to join me in paying tribute to John H. Land.

                          ____________________