[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 180 (Tuesday, December 13, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1718]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    IN HONOR OF J. LAMAR REESE, JR.

                                 ______
                                 

                      HON. SANFORD D. BISHOP, JR.

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 13, 2016

  Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, it is with a heavy heart and 
solemn remembrance that I rise today to pay tribute to a respected 
civic leader, outstanding citizen, and friend of longstanding, the 
Honorable J. Lamar Reese, Jr. Sadly, Lamar passed away on Saturday, 
December 10, 2016. Funeral services to celebrate his life will be held 
on Wednesday, December 14, 2016 at 11:00 a.m. at Porterfield Memorial 
United Methodist Church in Albany, Georgia.
  John Lamar Reese, Jr. was born on February 14, 1933 in Rome, Georgia. 
His family later moved to LaGrange, Georgia, where he graduated from 
LaGrange High School in 1951. He attended the Georgia Institute of 
Technology and graduated in 1955 with a Bachelor of Science degree in 
Industrial Management. While at Georgia Tech, he was a member of the 
Chi Phi Fraternity and the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps.
  After graduation, Lamar served our nation honorably as a lieutenant 
in the United States Navy for two years. In 1957, he moved to Albany, 
Georgia where he founded Reese Construction Company and was a founding 
partner of LRA Constructors.
  Lamar Reese was widely known as a driving force in his community. He 
served on various boards and organizations including the Albany Board 
of Realtors; Albany Home Builders Association, and the Kiwanis Club. He 
was a board member of SunTrust Bank, Darton College, the Hospital 
Authority of Albany/Dougherty County, and the Albany Chamber of 
Commerce, where he was awarded the Chamber's first Lifetime Service 
Award.
  Further demonstrating his enduring community commitment, Lamar 
dedicated his time and talents to serving the city of Albany, Dougherty 
County, and the State of Georgia. He served on the Dougherty County 
Board of Education for sixteen years, including thirteen years as 
Chairman. The Dougherty County Board of Education established the Lamar 
Reese School of the Arts in honor of Lamar's contributions to the 
education of young people in Dougherty County.
  Lamar also served as Chairman of the Dougherty County Board of 
Commissioners for four years and was elected President of the Georgia 
School Boards Association. He was a longtime member and advocate for 
the Albany YMCA and the Porterfield Memorial United Methodist Church, 
where he served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees and on the 
Administrative Board. A devoted alumnus of Georgia Tech, he was a 
trustee of the Alumni Association, member of the Scheller School of 
Management Advisory Board, recipient of the Dean Griffin Community 
Service Award, and President of the Albany Area Georgia Tech Club.
  Maya Angelou once said, ``A great soul serves everyone all the time. 
A great soul never dies.'' Lamar Reese is one such great soul, who 
served humanity in a special way. He devoted many years of dedicated 
service to the people of Dougherty County through his meaningful 
contribution of energy, skill, and genuine passion. He was an honorable 
human being who loved deeply and, in return, was deeply loved. His 
impression on this earth extends beyond himself to the very well-being 
of Dougherty County, and for it he will be remembered by the community 
for time to come.
  On a personal note, Lamar was a friend of longstanding. I have truly 
been blessed by his friendship, counsel, and inspiration throughout the 
years.
  Lamar is survived by his loving wife, Sandra, dedicated sons, John, 
Marvin, and Franklin, eight wonderful grandchildren, a great-
granddaughter and a host of other family members and friends.
  Mr. Speaker, my wife Vivian and I, along with the more than 730,000 
people of Georgia's Second Congressional District salute J. Lamar 
Reese, Jr. for his dedicated service and exceptional impact on 
Dougherty County. I ask my colleagues in the House of Representatives 
to join us in extending our deepest sympathies to the Reese family, 
friends and loved ones during this difficult time. We pray that they 
will be consoled and comforted by an abiding faith and the Holy Spirit 
in the days, weeks and months ahead.