[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 94 (Tuesday, May 19, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E469]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                           HONORING BEN KELLY

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JIMMY PANETTA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 19, 2020

  Mr. PANETTA. Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the life of Ben 
Kelly, an entrepreneur, surfboard shaper, and surfer on the central 
coast of California. Ben will be remembered for his kindness, 
adventurous spirit, and passion for his religious faith.
  Ben Kelly was born in Orange County in Southern California. While 
attending Vanguard University in Costa Mesa, California, where he met 
his wife, Katie, Ben began shaping surfboard and eventually developed 
his own brand, Ben Kelly Surfboards.
  Following his move to the central coast of California, Ben and Katie 
started their social media company, named Authentic Approach. This 
business encapsulated Ben's quick embrace of his new community. Not 
only was he dedicated to the work he did with his wife to help others 
realize their dreams of starting and operating local businesses, but he 
also quickly established himself in the local surfing community on the 
Central Coast. Ben's friends knew him as an adventurous young man who 
formed tight bonds with those around him and used his supportive and 
sincere nature to encourage friends to excel at their goals.
  Ben was especially passionate about his deeply held Christian faith. 
As a member of Twin Lakes Church in Aptos, California, Ben channeled 
his faith to guide his generous nature and devotion to helping friends 
and strangers. Ben's faith was a part of his daily life, finding daily 
lessons in the world around him and offering earnest guidance to anyone 
who needed help.
  Ben will be remembered for his adventurous and generous spirit and 
his love for and devotion to his wife, Katie. We, as a community, 
celebrate his life well-lived. Madam Speaker, I ask that my colleagues 
join me in honoring the life of Ben Kelly.

                          ____________________