[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 128 (Tuesday, September 8, 2015)]
[House]
[Page H5808]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





         HONORING THE LIFE OF FORMER REPRESENTATIVE LOU STOKES

  (Mr. RYAN of Ohio asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. RYAN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I would like to just take a minute to 
join with Congresswoman Kaptur, with Congresswoman Marcia Fudge, and 
with Congresswoman Joyce Beatty in honoring the life of Louis Stokes.
  We attended his funeral a few weeks back, and I just want to say 
there were so many great stories that came about through his passing--
from his family and from his grandkids, who gave beautiful eulogies, 
stories of their grandfather.
  This is just to say, when I first got to the United States Congress 
as a young Congressman of 29 years old, it was Congressman Stokes who 
sat in my office, who gave me counsel, who was always there and was 
always in a good mood, who was always joking and playing around and 
having a good time; but he took his job very seriously and took being a 
Member of Congress very seriously.
  The striking and remarkable thing about him was, no matter how high 
up the ladder he moved, he always had time. Whether it was for a young 
boy or girl in Cleveland or a new Congressman from Youngstown, he had 
time. He shared his advice, and he shared his counsel. He was such a 
remarkable man.
  When you think of the word ``gentleman,'' that was Congressman Lou 
Stokes. He was a gentle man and, I think, embodied the kind of 
character we want our young men in Ohio to look up to and aspire to be.
  I wanted to take a minute here on the House floor to thank him for 
all he did for me and all he did for Ohio and all he did for this 
country. He was a great man, and he will be missed. Our hearts and our 
prayers go out to him and his family.

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