[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 108 (Friday, June 23, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E894]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               HONORING THE LIFE OF RAYMOND V. WALENDZAK

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MARCY KAPTUR

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, June 23, 2017

  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the life of 
Raymond V. Walendzak, who served for over 20 years as the Chief of the 
Oregon Fire Department. Ray passed away in his Oregon home surrounded 
by his family on June 7, 2017.
  Ray was born in Toledo, Ohio on September 27, 1941 to Joan and 
Stanley Walendzak. He played football and wrestled for Clay High 
School, from which he graduated in 1959. Ray continued his education at 
Findlay College, and then joined the United States Air Force and served 
in West Germany.
  In 1968, Ray became an Oregon firefighter, where he began his service 
in the department's maintenance division, became a fire prevention 
officer, a district chief, and the assistant chief. Ray's father also 
served as a firefighter, which helped Ray bridge the differences 
between the different generations who were serving as firefighters. He 
appreciated the traditions of fire service, and also the need to 
modernize fire service with technology.
  Ray became Fire Chief in 1986 and retired in 2007 for a total of 39 
years of fire service. While Fire Chief, Ray made sure his department 
was current in training and technology, and made sure that the 
department had the right equipment. Ray has said that his biggest 
achievement was getting a fire training facility built in Oregon.
  His passion about the fire-fighting community led him to serve its 
various organizations which include serving as the past president of 
the Ohio Fire Chiefs Association, Lucas County Fire Chiefs Association, 
Oregon Fire Fighters Association, Ottawa County Fireman's Association, 
and, for over 26 years, as past president and secretary of the 
Northwest Ohio Volunteer Fire Association.
  He had received the Ohio Fire Chiefs' Association's Distinguished 
Service Award, and was inducted into the Ohio Fire Service Hall of 
Fame. Ray served as a Governor appointee to the State of the Ohio Board 
of Emergency Medical Services for 12 years. He was inducted into the 
Clay High School Hall of Fame in 2014.
  Ray's commitment to his community did not just stop with the fire 
department--it extended through his service to his church, St. 
Ignatius, and through many of the civic organizations he was a member 
of: the American Legion Christ Dunberger Post No. 537, Knights of 
Columbus, Swiss Club at the GAF, and the Clay Boosters.
  Ray dedicated an enormous amount of time to the youth of his 
community, where he was a longtime coach of youth baseball through the 
Oregon Recreation Department. Ray also served as a football coach at 
Oregon Clay High School. His dedication to the young members of his 
community led him to run for four terms on the Oregon Board of 
Education where he also served as Board President.
  Ray will be remembered for his dedication to his chosen profession of 
Fire Fighting and for his dedication to the Oregon community at large.
  We offer Ray's children, Dean, Donald and Dennis, his six 
grandchildren, his family and friends, our prayers and hope that they 
find comfort in the wonderful memories of what Ray had meant to each of 
the institutions that he served.

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