[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 121 (Wednesday, July 1, 2020)]
[House]
[Pages H2988-H2989]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                HONORING GEORGIA STATE SENATOR JACK HILL

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Georgia (Mr. Carter) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember and to 
honor the life of one of my mentors and my very good friend, Georgia 
State Senator Jack Hill, who passed away on April 6 at the age of 75.
  I sat next to Jack in the Georgia State Senate for 5 years, and he 
was truly a mentor to me. Through listening and interacting with him 
over the course of those years up until his death, I understood what it 
really meant to be a dedicated public servant.
  Jack lived his entire life in Reidsville, and his love for his 
hometown and community was evident throughout his life.
  After he graduated from Reidsville High School and Georgia Southern 
University, he came back to his hometown and went into the grocery 
business as owner and operator of Hill Shopping Center.
  In addition to running his own successful business, Jack still found 
time to serve in the Georgia Air National Guard for over 33 years, both 
as a unit commander and a State inspector general.
  He was appointed to the board of directors at The Tattnall Bank in 
the early 1980s before heeding the call to public service.
  In 1990, he ran for and won his first term as Georgia State Senator 
for the Fourth District of Georgia.
  Throughout Jack's 30 years of steadfast service in representing the 
Fourth District, he served on many prestigious committees, including 
the Senate Rules Committee, where he was vice chairman, and chairman of 
the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee.
  Both Jack and I liked to write columns. We would write weekly 
columns. Jack always chided me and said mine were very chatty. I always 
chided him and said his were very nerdy.

                              {time}  0930

  He was a numbers cruncher. He knew the budget like no one in the 
State of Georgia knew it. He was always the last to leave the capitol 
each day because of how dedicated he was to serve the people of our 
State.
  Because of Jack's leadership, my colleagues and I were always driven 
to be good stewards of taxpayer dollars and uphold our mission in all 
that we did to serve Georgians to the best of our abilities.
  Jack was a man of overwhelming integrity, compassion, and humility. 
He was a true statesman. While he certainly worked hard to be selected 
for this role, he never used his prestigious title to gain praise or 
acknowledgment.
  He was one of the few people who taught me the importance of placing 
people over the politics and praise. If anyone ever needed to talk to 
him, he was always available and listened to what you had to say no 
matter who you were.
  Jack also taught me the importance of humility and keeping a common, 
steady hand at the helm. I will always remember his immense dedication 
to everyone he interacted with.
  He made a huge difference in the lives of countless students, in the 
reputation of the university system, and in the holistic improvement of 
the State of Georgia.
  Jack's legacy will always be remembered, and those he knew will never 
forget the impact he had on the lives he touched.
  It is for these reasons that all 14 Georgia Members of the U.S. 
House, including myself, signed proposed legislation to name a post 
office building in Jack's hometown of Reidsville after him. Naming a 
post office after him will honor his remarkable contributions to our 
State for years to come, and we will work to preserve his legacy of 
public service for his fellow Georgians.
  Jack's advice has stayed with me throughout the years, and he helped 
make me the person I am today. I am forever grateful to have known Jack 
Hill, and I will never forget him. His family, friends, and those he 
worked with will continue to be in my thoughts and prayers as we all 
mourn the death of a great Georgian and a great American.


              Honoring the Life of Benjamin Tarbutton, Jr.

  Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the life of Mr. 
Benjamin Tarbutton, Jr., who passed away

[[Page H2989]]

peacefully on June 9, 2020, at the age of 90.
  A lifelong resident of Sandersville, Georgia, Mr. Tarbutton's 
ambition started at an earlier age when he earned the honor of Eagle 
Scout. He even attended the Boy Scout International Jamboree in Paris, 
France, in 1947.
  Mr. Tarbutton went on to attend Oxford College and graduated from 
Emory University in 1951 with a BA in economics. Following his studies, 
Mr. Tarbutton served our Nation in the U.S. Navy from 1952 to 1955 and 
was a veteran of the Korean war.
  When he returned home, he began his lifelong career with the 
Sandersville Railroad Company. Mr. Tarbutton served as a director of 
the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association, which is now 
127 years old. He dedicated 65 years to the company until the time of 
his death, serving as president, vice president, and director.
  His strong commitment to the railroad industry stretched beyond 
Sandersville Railroad Company. Mr. Tarbutton served as the director of 
the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association and founder 
and president of the Georgia Railroad Association.
  While he found great success in business, Mr. Tarbutton is best known 
for his commitment to his family, his church, and his community and the 
State of Georgia.
  He will always be remembered for his tireless work to bring new 
industry and jobs to Sandersville. As part of this work, he served as 
the director of the Washington County Chamber of Commerce for many 
years and was honored as Washington County's Citizen of the Year.
  But most importantly, Mr. Tarbutton was a family man. His friends and 
family remember him as a wonderful storyteller who entertained everyone 
around him with his colorful tales.
  Our thoughts and prayers are with the Tarbutton family, especially 
his widow, Nancy, with a debt of gratitude for sharing Mr. Ben with all 
of us.

                          ____________________