[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 206 (Monday, December 7, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1097]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF MAYOR JOHN FRANKLIN GRIMES III

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                             HON. TED BUDD

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, December 7, 2020

  Mr. BUDD. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of 
Siler City Mayor John Franklin Grimes III, who passed away on October 
20, 2020. John was a stalwart of the Siler City, North Carolina 
community where he served as mayor since 2013. He was a servant in the 
truest sense of the word, always willing to go to the back of the line 
and take care of the needs of others first. Unsurprisingly, he was one 
of the select few to be awarded the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, North 
Carolina's highest civilian honor for remarkable service to the state.
  John's character of service was ingrained at a young age as his 
father quickly signed up to join the U.S. Navy after the attack on 
Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. John would say that, ``Growing up, we 
presumed to have an obligation to serve in the military.'' 
Consequently, after graduating from Davie County High School, John 
received a scholarship to play football at Wake Forest in Winston-
Salem, enrolling in the school's ROTC program. Upon graduation, John 
earned a commission as a second lieutenant and served in the 3rd/8th 
Calvary in Germany during the Vietnam era.
  Upon returning to North Carolina with his wife Cecilia, John was 
asked to serve as a local judge for the 1968 election to help identify 
and report election irregularities. After a break from public service 
where he helped build and expand the Cecil Budd Tire Company, John 
would re-enter politics through his work with the Chatham County 
Republican Party, eventually becoming its chair. In 1994 he ran (and 
led the ticket) for a seat on the Chatham County Board of 
Commissioners, becoming the first Republican elected to that Board in 
the 20th century.
  In 1999, he was elected to the Siler City Board of Commissioners and 
served as Mayor Pro Term until his election as Mayor in 2013, his first 
of four terms. John continuously stressed how seriously he valued the 
input of his constituents, saying ``If they don't hold (politicians) 
accountable, anything can happen.''
  Madam Speaker, our country needs more public servants like John 
Franklin Grimes III. The entire Siler City community is less whole 
today without John, but the impact he made and the lives he touched are 
a testament to how special a person he was. Please join me in 
celebrating his life and legacy.

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