[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 179 (Friday, November 8, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1406]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF JAMES C. BOHAN

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ROSA L. DeLAURO

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, November 8, 2019

  Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, it is with the heaviest of hearts that I 
rise today to remember and pay tribute to my dear friend, James Bohan, 
who was taken from us much too soon as he lost his hard-fought battle 
with cancer. I am heartbroken for his wife Janice, and his two 
children, Jim Jr. and Jennifer. Jim was one of a kind and I, like all 
those fortunate enough to have known him, will miss him.
  If there were two things you knew about Jim Bohan, it was that he 
``worked for the City'' for too many years to count and that he was 
enormously proud of his Irish heritage. Jim had a story for any 
occasion, with most of them starting ``when I worked for the City . . 
.'' and the rest of them some adventure or antic that had ensued at 
``the Parade.'' He was a storyteller and would impart his knowledge to 
anyone willing to listen.
  Jim dedicated his professional life to housing and community 
development. He began his career at the New Haven Redevelopment Agency 
as an Administrative Assistant with the Hill Project Office where he 
served as a liaison between federal officials and the City and 
developed planning proposals for neighborhood schools, housing, and 
parks. He went on to spend nearly a decade at the organization as a 
Development Officer where he was responsible for monitoring 
construction projects across the City as well as liaising with state 
and local elected officials and community groups. In 1976, he began his 
career with the City of New Haven as the Coordinator of the 
Neighborhood Preservation Program. Jim would eventually go on to serve 
in the City's Development Administration where he was really a jack-of-
all-trades. He was the Coordinator of Protocol, organizing major public 
events around the City; a liaison between various City Departments and 
local engineering firms; and the manager of the site selection process 
for the City Infill Housing Program to name just a few. It was from the 
Development Administration that Jim retired from City service in 1990.
  Jim's retirement from the City turned out to be one of my most 
fortunate opportunities. Having been elected to my first term in the 
United States Congress, I found myself in search of trusted staff who 
would be able to manage the volumes of constituent services that were 
in demand. Jim was one of the first members of my staff. From his long 
history with the City of New Haven, Jim was not only familiar with the 
City at its heart but also with neighboring communities that made up 
Connecticut's 3rd Congressional District. Over the decade Jim worked 
with me, we spent countless hours traveling to events and meeting 
across the District. He became so much more than a staff member and 
friend--he became family. And though he left the Congressional office 
in 2002, he stayed in touch through frequent visits and passing on a 
variety of constituent requests.
  As I mentioned, Jim was extraordinarily proud of his Irish heritage 
and he made every effort to celebrate and share his heritage with 
everyone he knew. Nothing demonstrates that more than his dedication to 
the Greater New Haven St. Patrick's Day Parade--the City's annual 
tribute to all things Irish. Jim was a dedicated member of the parade 
committee for many years and served as Grand Marshal in 1981. He went 
on to serve as the Parade's Executive Chairman for nearly a decade and, 
even after stepping down from the Executive Committee, Jim served as 
the Parade Coordinator--perhaps the most thankless of jobs--for a 
number of years. Even after he and Janice bought a home in Florida, Jim 
would make frequent trips to New Haven for parade meetings and, of 
course, the parade itself. The shrine in his home, a collection of 
memorabilia and keepsakes, speaks to the special place the Parade and 
the Committee held in his heart.
  In his retirement, Jim also followed another of his passions--
firefighting. The son of Captain in the New Haven Fire Department, Jim 
proudly followed in his footsteps becoming a volunteer with the 
Branford Fire Department for many years. Jim's fascination with his 
father's legacy could be seen in his collection of hundreds of 
carefully crafted fire engine models which he painstakingly built in 
his free time. One of his other favorite pastimes was serving in the 
Connecticut Foot Guard's 2nd Company--a historical state military 
organization whose members volunteer their time and talents to events 
and programs across Connecticut.
  I consider myself fortunate to have called Jim my friend and, like 
for so many others, his absence will leave a hole that will never quite 
be filled. I extend my deepest sympathies to Janice, Jim Jr. and 
Jennifer. I hope that they know what an incredible impact he had on the 
lives of his friends and colleagues. Jim will be missed but never 
forgotten.

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