[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 160 (Thursday, September 27, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Page S6353]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   REMEMBERING JAMES WILLIAM RATZLAFF

  Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, another giant has fallen. I rise today to 
recognize the passing of James William Ratzlaff.
  As a conservationist, an avid outdoorsman, a philanthropist, and, 
most of all, a dear friend, Jim was one of Oregon's great civic 
leaders. He passed away on August 26 at home on his beloved ranch 
surrounded by love. Jim is survived by Jane, his loving wife of 54 
years, and their children, Jim, Jr., and Susan, as well as Jim, Jr.'s 
wife Leinani and her sons, Lowell and Larkin, and Susan's son, Marcus 
James.
  For decades, Jim and Jane have exemplified and renewed our sense of 
what it means to be outstanding community leaders: patiently listening 
and learning, actively seeking equitable solutions, and, above all, 
leading by example.
  Jim's legacy of good deeds extends far beyond mere philanthropy. He 
threw himself headlong into the complex challenges facing communities 
in and well beyond his home in Roseburg, OR. His abiding love for 
nature and healthy watersheds always went hand-in-hand with his deep 
concern for the well-being of our communities. Jim always believed and 
worked to prove that community health, ecology, and economy are 
inseparable and that, together, we can strengthen all three.
  Jim's notable success in business served merely as a means to an end 
much bigger than himself. Those that knew him well would agree that he 
saw his good fortune as a blessing allowing him to expand his ability 
to do good in the world. Always with humility, always with deference, 
always true to his core values, Jim taught us once again how to lead by 
example.
  Jim and Jane moved to Oregon, to the beauty of Crane Creek Ranch, and 
exercised their good fortune to make the world a better place. Through 
his work with the Oregon Community Foundation and service on boards 
across the Pacific Northwest--including Pacific Rivers Council, Wild 
Salmon Center, the North Umpqua Foundation, Oregon Public Broadcasting, 
and Mercy Medical Center--Jim was tireless in his efforts to maintain 
healthy forests and rivers and to elevate the lives of those around 
him.
  Jim's great love of his family and the land stood as an inspiration 
to everyone around him. While, yes, a giant has fallen, a forest will 
rise in his place, growing from all those whose lives he has touched 
with his love, friendship, generosity, wisdom, and lifelong commitment 
to building a better future.

                          ____________________