[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 215 (Friday, December 18, 2020)]
[House]
[Pages H7275-H7276]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    HONORING THE LIFE OF ANDY MATSUI

  (Mr. PANETTA asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PANETTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the life of floriculturist 
and philanthropist, Andy Matsui, who recently passed away at the age of 
85.

[[Page H7276]]

  After being born and raised in a family of farmers in Japan, Andy got 
an educational visa to go to California and study agriculture. He liked 
it so much that he bought some land and established a nursery in the 
Salinas Valley, in my district.
  Andy produced orchids and pioneered the sale of potted orchids in 
stores. Today, the Matsui Nursery has one of the greatest selections of 
orchids in the entire world.
  But Andy didn't just grow flowers; he grew the future for many. Andy 
said that education is the only way to change things in this world. 
That is why he and his wife established the Matsui Foundation to 
provide scholarships to countless students. Andy believed in our home 
by encouraging those students to not just study, but to stay and give 
back to the central coast of California.
  Our prayers are with his family. May Andy Matsui rest in peace with 
the satisfaction that he left us with magnificent beauty from his 
orchids and magnanimous bounty for our community.

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