[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 73 (Tuesday, May 3, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E449-E450]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       REMEMBERING ANDREW CRESCI

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JACKIE SPEIER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                          Tuesday, May 3, 2022

  Ms. SPEIER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to remember Andrew Cresci, a 
remarkable man who recently passed away at the age of 82. Andy did what 
only a few souls dream to accomplish: He housed people, offering them a 
chance at the American Dream.
  My district is populated by homes immortalized by Pete Seeger and 
Malvina Reynolds in the song ``Little Boxes.'' Andy Cresci and his 
hearty employees built thousands of those ``little boxes'' on the 
hillsides of Daly City, along the streets of South San Francisco, and 
throughout Hercules. However, let's set the record straight: Pete 
Seeger and Malvina Reynolds were wrong. These homes were well built, 
beloved by their first owners, and are proudly owned by the current 
generation of homeowners.
  The Standard Building Company/Sunstream Homes began in the 1920s and 
was a thriving company when Andy Cresci started as an architect in the 
1960s. He eventually took over as CEO after the founders, Carl and Fred 
Gellert, retired. Sunstream built dreams. In the Serramonte 
neighborhood, in South San Francisco and Hercules, thousands of 
affordable homes ready-made for proud ownership were constructed. Andy 
Cresci required that homes be built to satisfy every customer. One 
former employee noted that while he was with the company--over 
decades--he and his team never set foot in a courtroom due to a 
customer complaint. They would often return after the warranty had 
expired to fix anything that was of concern. Every Sunstream home has a 
license plate-like piece of metal, typically in the garage, identifying 
its number in the long series of homes built by Sunstream. So, if you 
bought the 4,352nd Sunstream home, you knew that there were 4,351 
satisfied customers who came before you.
  We often hear today of companies that refuse to share their success 
with employees. Sunstream was different. Many employees made 
investments alongside management, even as little as $600, and received 
significant returns on their investments. Andy ran a prudent operation 
that delivered value to both customers and employees. In later years, 
as opportunities to purchase large tracts of land dwindled, he had a 
sharp eye for infill development opportunities and looked for surplus 
public lands.
  He wasn't all about work. Andy loved golf and for many years he 
belonged to the ``Dew Sweepers,'' a group of fellow golfers who played 
courses very early in the morning, typically at Poplar Creek. The loser 
had to buy everyone else french fries. At home, his ``man cave'' 
included three TVs so that he could watch baseball, golf, and 
basketball, but especially the 49ers. He was a season ticket holder. He 
travelled widely, loved such disparate music as ABBA, Elvis Presley and 
Queen, and of course he enjoyed Italian classics.
  Andy Cresci had a dry wit and a wet garden. A friend reports that he 
had five or six

[[Page E450]]

varieties of tomatoes and harvested a bountiful crop each year.
  Andy left his mark in many remarkable ways, but most notably through 
his personal and voluntary philanthropic efforts. He served on the 
Board of Directors of the Gellert Foundation. Over the decades, he and 
his fellow board members donated many millions of dollars, chiefly to 
education, but also to youth programs and seniors. We will probably 
never know how much he donated through his own charitable giving, but 
it is said to have been a significant sum. Always concerned about 
putting a roof over the head of someone or something, he designed and 
built birdhouses, made from wooden wine boxes, and he donated these 
birdhouses to charity where they sold at fundraisers. His philanthropy 
included the Fallen Heroes Memorial in the City of San Mateo, the 
Wounded Warrior Project, and the San Mateo Police Activities League.
  Andy Cresci was the proud father of Lisa Christensen, the father-in-
law of John Christensen, and the stepfather of Nicole Pobuta Aquino 
(Miguel), Kristen Pobuta Iwata (Nick), the grandfather of Nicolas and 
Anthony Christensen, and the step-grandfather of Carson Iwata. He was 
predeceased by his first wife Kathy Cresci and survived by my friend 
and the former Mayor of San Mateo, Maureen Freschet.
  Madam Speaker, a long life leads to many accomplishments arising from 
opportunities. Most people seize opportunities that arrive by chance, 
but a few people also spend their lives creating opportunities. Andy 
Cresci was the latter. He was a doer and a dreamer. Without question, 
and for tens of thousands of customers, friends and family members, 
Andy Cresci made a difference for the better in our community. He was 
the personification of patriotism. May he rest in peace.

                          ____________________