[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 22 (Monday, February 5, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H739-H740]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       REMEMBERING COLLIN KENNEDY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Farenthold) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. FARENTHOLD. Mr. Speaker, recently, my office faced a tragedy when 
we received word that my former field representative Collin Kennedy had 
passed away due to injuries he had suffered in an accident.
  A Manassas, Virginia, native and a West Virginia University graduate, 
politics ran in Collin's blood. He had worked on numerous campaigns for 
the Republican National Committee and interned on Capitol Hill before 
beginning work in my office in 2015, where he worked until last 
September. Collin, who was 27, served as my field representative in 
Victoria, Bastrop, Lavaca, Caldwell, and Gonzales Counties, where he 
was known for his boundless enthusiasm, positive outlook, and passion 
for life.
  Since his death, dozens of people have left notes and messages about 
the strong relationship that they have shared with Collin and the 
lasting impact he left on our communities. They spoke of his kindness, 
his great attitude, and his constant willingness to lend a hand. They 
shared their fond memories of him attending ribbon cuttings, banquets, 
community meetings, and more.
  One of my current staff wrote a touching tribute that described 
Collin as ``the gold standard of what it means to be a friend and 
colleague,'' and I couldn't agree more. Collin's outsized personality 
and exuberance were well known, and his ability to reach people and 
connect with them was extraordinary.
  I have to admit, I was a little worried hiring a West Virginian to 
work in Texas. He was going to be my eyes and ears. But Collin was 
amazing at how easily he made friends and fit in as a transplant Texan. 
I was blessed to have Collin as a staff member, and my family and I 
were blessed to have him as a friend.
  Our prayers are with his parents, Jeffrey and Susan; his brother, 
Zachary; the rest of his family; and countless friends.
  Collin, thank you for your years of great work. You will be missed.


                 Remembering Robert ``Bob'' Agrifoglio

  Mr. FARENTHOLD. Mr. Speaker, I am here today to remember Robert 
``Bob'' Agrifoglio, who passed away recently at the age of 73.
  Born in Chicago, Illinois, Bob enlisted in the U.S. Air Force on his 
17th birthday and headed to basic training in San Antonio, Texas. From 
there, he was deployed to Japan, Colorado Springs, and many other 
places. He went on to train as an aircraft loadmaster, where he flew 
Presidential support missions, performed airdrops, and flew missions 
all over the world, including South Africa, South America, and the 
Middle East.
  Bob received orders to go to Vietnam, where he flew in numerous 
missions before his plane crashed, tragically, killing his fellow crew 
members. Despite an aggressive push to return to the skies, Bob's 
injuries from that crash permanently removed him from flight service.
  After 17\1/2\ years on Active Duty, he went on to work at the 
Department of Defense safety offices for the next 17 years, before he 
finally retired in 1996.
  Bob never stopped serving the community, helping with veterans 
events, volunteering to help veterans with their healthcare issues, and 
helping to run a weekly Tuesday veterans' coffee service with Dotson 
Lewis and many other veterans in the Corpus Christi area.
  Thank you, Bob, for your years of service not only to our country, 
but to the Corpus Christi community and all of your friends and fellow 
veterans worldwide. You will be missed.


                         Remembering Don Kaspar

  Mr. FARENTHOLD. Mr. Speaker, I am here today to remember the life of 
a great constituent, Mr. Don Kaspar, who passed away, recently, at 88.
  Don was born on November 24, 1928, in Shiner, Texas, where he 
graduated from Shiner High School in 1945. He served as the president 
of his class at Texas A&M, where he graduated in 1949 with a degree in 
agricultural administration.
  He worked part-time factory jobs throughout school and served as a 
junior executive at Kaspar Wire Works, a

[[Page H740]]

company founded in 1898 by his grandfather.
  During the Korean war, Don served in the United States Army as a 
second lieutenant and then as a first lieutenant, receiving a Combat 
Infantry Badge and a Bronze Star.
  He then returned to Kaspar Wire Works, now Kaspar Companies, where he 
became CEO, and it grew from a small company with 18 employees to a 
multinational enterprise with nearly 1,000 employees. I was fortunate 
enough to tour the company a couple of years ago with Don and learned 
about the success of his ventures.
  Despite his busy job, Don always had time to give back to the 
community. He was president of the Shiner Rotary Club, director of the 
Shiner Hospital Foundation, the first chairman of Shiner Youth 
Baseball, chairman of the Shiner United Way Fund, a local scoutmaster, 
chairman of the board at his local church, and more.

  A pillar of the Shiner community, Don was married to the late Jean 
Welhausen Kaspar for 52 years and leaves behind 4 sons, their wives, 10 
grandchildren, and 6 great-grandchildren.
  Don, we miss you.

                          ____________________