[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 184 (Sunday, October 25, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Page S6596]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       REMEMBERING DAVE SPANGLER

 Mr. PORTMAN. Madam President, I want to recognize and 
celebrate the life of a friend and a true champion of our Great Lakes, 
whom we sadly lost recently at age 74.
  Captain Dave Spangler was a true leader in the Great Lakes community. 
He was a captain for Dr. Bugs Charters and vice president of the Lake 
Erie Charter Boat Captain Association. Dave grew up fishing with his 
father on the Maumee River and started fishing in Lake Erie in the late 
1970s, so it is no surprise that he became known as the expert on 
finding the ``hot spots,'' or knowing the best techniques to catch big 
walleye and perch. He won many awards for his expertise. He was named 
Charter Boat Captain of the Year in 2014.
  I first met Captain Dave during one of my annual fishing trips on 
Lake Erie more than a decade ago. Dave would also come to Washington, 
DC, for meetings, but he and I both knew we would both rather be out on 
his boat.
  What impressed me most about Dave is that he was not only an expert 
among the fishing community but that he was also unafraid to get his 
hands dirty--literally--in other issues impacting the Great Lakes, 
especially his beloved Lake Erie. He devoted the last several decades 
of his life to protecting and improving the entire health of the Great 
Lakes. Where most boaters would try to avoid the green, foul odor of 
toxic algal blooms that sometimes plague the lakes, Dave drove straight 
into them--to take samples, track the movement of the bloom, and work 
to develop solutions. Whether it was harmful algal blooms, Asian carp, 
or pollution impacting the lakes, Dave eagerly became an expert on all 
of them. Not only did I turn to him for his knowledge and advice on 
these issues, but I also admired Dave's ability to bring people 
together to find solutions, especially in such a divided world that we 
live in today.
  Dave had a strong conviction and devoted purpose to protecting the 
lakes, but he also had a warm and lighthearted demeanor, with a 
contagious laugh and smile. I will miss my friend, and he will be 
deeply missed by so many in the Great Lakes community, including those 
who may have never met him but are able to enjoy the beautiful lakes 
thanks to his efforts.
  While Dave is no longer with us in person, his passion for protecting 
the Great Lakes will continue to inspire us all.
  Rest in Peace, Captain Dave.

                          ____________________