[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 14 (Wednesday, January 23, 2019)]
[House]
[Page H1004]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        HONORING STEVE NETTLETON

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
California (Mr. LaMalfa) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. LaMALFA. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and to 
mourn the passing of a truly larger-than-life figure from my community 
in northern California, Mr. Steve Nettleton, pictured here with his 
wife, Kathy, appropriately out at the ball game.
  A well-known philanthropist and lover of baseball, Steve passed away 
recently due to complications of Parkinson's disease at the age of 79.
  Originally from Iowa, Steve grew up with a passion for America's 
pastime: baseball. Now we know that Steve also attended San Diego State 
University. His love for the game drove him to try out for the SDSU 
baseball team. While he didn't quite make the roster, he never left the 
sport behind.
  In 1971, Steve and his family relocated to Chico, a small town in 
northern California he never heard of--and he never left. More than 20 
years later, he built a multimillion-dollar business as a grocer but 
said his best day in the business was the day he sold it in 1995.
  If you lived in or near Chico, it would be hard to miss the Nettleton 
name, as Steve's generous philanthropy resulted in many buildings and 
many projects bearing his name: Enloe Medical Center's Nettleton Mother 
and Baby Care Center and the Nettleton Gym at the Boys and Girls Club 
of Chico are just a couple of those examples that were named in his 
honor due to his work.
  Perhaps even more notably, Steve and his wife, Kathy, generously 
donated $2 million to transform Chico State University's humble 
baseball diamond into a modern, 4,100-seat stadium, which was soon also 
adorned with the name Nettleton Stadium. The ``Nett,'' as they call it, 
helped revitalize the baseball program at Chico State, which then 
became home to two national championship baseball teams, among the many 
more regional and conference titles the Chico State Wildcats went on to 
win.
  Steve also brought the joy and family fun of minor league baseball to 
town as the owner of the Chico Heat franchise. Throughout the club's 
existence, Steve's limitless passion for baseball shone through in 
every facet of the organization. They wanted to win games, but they 
also wanted to give the community something that was unifying and 
entertaining. Indeed, it is and was.
  It should come as no surprise that Steve was awarded Chico Sportsman 
of the Year in 1999 and was inducted into the Chico Sports Hall of Fame 
in 2016.
  His generosity was not limited to baseball. Steve was deeply 
passionate for the community he learned to call home. As I mentioned, 
he was also a known contributor to the Boys and Girls Club of Chico, 
the American Red Cross, the American Cancer Society, United Way, the 
Salvation Army, and many more.
  For all of his efforts and contributions on behalf of a university 
which he did not attend, Chico State awarded him an honorary doctorate 
degree of humane letters--only the second person in school history to 
receive such a degree.
  It is indeed clear that Steve deeply cared for his community. In 
return, it deeply cared for him. Through his selfless generosity over 
the years, Steve Nettleton built a legacy that will far outlive his 
time on this Earth. But still, those who remember it will miss the 
nightly opportunity to shake Steve's hand after a baseball game as he 
showed his appreciation to those fans in attendance.
  Steve brought much joy and fun to his hometown and to its people. He 
will be greatly missed. God bless the Nettleton family at this time.

                          ____________________