[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 112 (Friday, July 5, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E873-E874]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            REMEMBERING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF DAVID MARCUS

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. KEVIN McCARTHY

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, July 5, 2019

  Mr. McCARTHY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to remember the life and 
legacy of Mr. David Marcus, a larger-than-life personality, passionate 
supporter of our community, and a great friend to many, who passed away 
on June 28, 2019 after his seventh battle with cancer. A resident of 
Bakersfield, California, David will be remembered throughout our 
community for his contagious positive attitude, his dedicated faith in 
God, and his ubiquitous presence--he was known locally as ``Mr. 
Bakersfield.''
  David was born on December 22, 1958 in Passaic, New Jersey, and later 
moved to Bakersfield. He developed his job skills working at the 
Bakersfield Association of Retarded Citizens and quickly found a career 
working at Albertson's, where he inspired everyone he met. David was 
often seen cheering on different high school sports teams, like his 
niece's Centennial Golden Hawks. With his can-do spirit and positive 
attitude, David quickly became known for being their biggest supporter, 
cheering on our community's student-athletes as they competed for 
championships. Despite his cancer diagnosis, David was constantly at 
games, events, and community celebrations, sharing the power of 
positivity with everyone he came in contact with. In recognition of 
this, he was announced as the winner of the 2018 Greatest Community 
Supporter Award, which was presented to him by the Kern High School 
District.
  David, a loud supporter of everything Bakersfield, would make friends 
anywhere he went as he cheered on and championed different events in 
the community. From welcoming home veterans as they returned from an 
Honor Flight to cheering on players with disabilities during the League 
of Dreams to attending our community's annual Relay for Life, David was 
someone our community united around. In fact, in just a few days, 
members of the Bakersfield community came together to raise money to 
ensure that he received a star on the historic Fox Theatre's Walk-of-
Fame in downtown Bakersfield.
  For those of us lucky enough to call him a friend, it was not 
surprising to see that David never lost his vision of the power of 
positivity and prayer. David prayed for everyone in his family, our 
community, and even for the members of this legislative body, asking 
that we be given the wisdom to make the right decisions for our 
country. Despite battling cancer seven times, David never became angry 
or bitter. Instead his warm, positive personality shined brighter than 
ever as the battles got longer and tougher. He will be remembered as a 
warrior who never gave up and fought valiantly until the end. On behalf 
of California's 23rd Congressional District, I want to extend my most 
heartfelt condolences to David's family, including his sister Arlene 
and husband Virgil; his sister Debbie and husband George; his nieces 
Bee, Alexandria, and GloriAnn; and his nephews George, Gino, and Guy.
  David's life, actions, and love for his community will undoubtedly 
continue to inspire us, as will his words: Thumbs Up, Cancer Down.

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