[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 62 (Wednesday, April 10, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E442-E443]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      IN HONOR OF KARL B. McMILLEN

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. DUNCAN HUNTER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 10, 2019

  Mr. HUNTER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Karl B. McMillen, a 
Marine, a successful business owner and entrepreneur, and a generous 
philanthropist. Karl's life can be broken down into 3 distinct parts. 
The first part was to study hard and get educated. Then came working 
hard and building a successful business; and now he's giving back.
   Karl McMillen was born September 19, 1928, in Miami, Arizona. In 
1929, when Karl was just a year old, his family moved to California, 
seeking relief from the Great Depression. In the years that followed, 
Karl's father Mac instilled a strong work ethic in his son--through his 
childhood and teen years, Karl helped Mac with odd jobs, mining and 
other pursuits.
   After graduating from Pasadena Junior College in 1946, Karl joined 
the Marine Corps. After two years with the Marines he left the service 
and began work at a plumbing company to earn some money. Seeking to 
advance his education, in the Fall of 1949, Karl enrolled at the 
University of New Mexico (UNM). One summer, during a break back home to 
Pasadena, he met a young woman named Thelma Mastraight. After a 3 month 
courtship Karl knew that Thelma was the woman for him, and they married 
in the fall of 1950. From there, the married couple went back and forth 
from Southern California and New Mexico for Karl to continue his 
education at UNM. During breaks, both worked hard to earn a decent 
living.
   Over the next couple years, Karl became a water-softening wizard and 
started a small

[[Page E443]]

business with his fraternity brother installing lawn sprinklers. He 
eventually transferred to the University of Southern California (USC) 
for his junior year in 1952, where he gained the necessary tools to run 
his plumbing business with the mentality of a businessman. Karl 
graduated from USC in 1954 with a B.S. in Finance. From there, he 
worked at Kohler and then created Cobabe Plumbing. By 1964, the company 
employed 150 journeymen, operated a fleet of 76 trucks, and was 
performing 7,000 jobs a year in Southern California.
   In 1968, Karl started a new plumbing supply business with his friend 
Ralph Todd called Todd Pipe & Supply. Their winning theory was simple: 
treat your customers as people. This golden touch playbook led to the 
small company in Hawthorne, California growing to nine highly-respected 
facilities in California and Nevada, including San Diego. Karl's 
success as a businessowner was the result of hard work, honesty, 
integrity, and respect for others. Karl served as Co-Founder and 
Chairman of the company before he sold it in 2004. It still 
successfully operates in Los Angeles, Riverside, Orange, and San Diego 
Counties.
   Karl's amazing story of business success is counterbalanced by the 
emotional deaths of his first wife to alcohol and cancer, and both his 
sons who lost both of their lives to substance abuse. Karl, too, has 
struggled with alcoholism and proudly has over 20 years sobriety today.
   When Karl retired from the plumbing industry, he knew he was not 
done making an impact. Karl's golden touch playbook continued and his 
persistency to help others made an even greater turn. More determined 
than ever in his war against addiction, Karl established the Thelma 
McMillen Center for Alcohol and Drug Treatment, named in memory of his 
late wife, at Torrance Memorial Medical Center. His gift to the 
hospital greatly expanded their existing program, including the 
creation of a teen outpatient program, which was important to him after 
what happened to his sons.
   Karl and his new wife Carol also started the McMillen Family 
Foundation. The foundation made an immediate impact in the Southern 
California community and the fight against substance abuse. To date the 
foundation has helped over 60 organizations and has donated millions of 
dollars. Organizations that have benefited include the Thelma McMillen 
Center at Torrance Memorial Medical Center, the House of Hope, Pathways 
to Independence, the Friendly House, the Beacon House, 1st Step, Lynn 
House, the Shawl House and 2 Alano Clubs.
   Karl has seen to it the foundation will go on in perpetuity, by 
giving 20 percent of all profits from his existing business as well as 
all his current assets to the foundation upon his death.
   Karl's persistency to help his family, employees, customers, and 
those in need highlight his courage and dedication in changing lives 
for the better. Karl is no regular guy. He's a champion of Southern 
California and who we are as Californians.

                          ____________________