[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 62 (Wednesday, April 10, 2019)]
[House]
[Page H3224]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       IN HONOR OF DERRICK NELSON

  (Mr. MALINOWSKI asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. MALINOWSKI. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor a hero in my 
district who passed away this week.
  Mr. Derrick Nelson was the principal of the high school in Westfield, 
New Jersey. He was known to students, to parents, and to teachers for 
his generosity and selflessness.
  Mr. Nelson dedicated his life to serving his country and community. 
He spent 20 years in the U.S. Army Reserves, including a deployment in 
the Middle East.
  He began his career in New Jersey education in 2002 and joined the 
Westfield school system in 2010, officially becoming principal in 2017. 
Students and teachers said he always had a smile on his face, and his 
energy was infectious.
  It was this kindness of spirit that led Mr. Nelson to donate his bone 
marrow to a 14-year-old boy in France. He did not know the boy, he just 
wanted to give something of himself to save a child's life.
  He suffered a complication from the procedure. He never woke up.
  Mr. Speaker, with the passing of Derrick Nelson, we have lost a 
leader in our community and a great and good man. I extend my deepest 
condolences to his family, and I hope they find comfort in knowing that 
the extraordinary legacy he leaves behind will continue to inspire and 
guide the people who had the privilege to know him.

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