[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 111 (Tuesday, July 5, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E693-E694]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF FORMER SENATOR PILAR DIAZ CRUZ LUJAN

                                 ______
                                 

                     HON. MICHAEL F.Q. SAN NICOLAS

                                of guam

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 5, 2022

  Mr. SAN NICOLAS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and 
legacy of former

[[Page E694]]

Senator Pilar Diaz Cruz Lujan. Senator Lujan was an esteemed leader, 
devoted educator, and tireless advocate for the People of Guam. Our 
community will fondly remember her as a visionary whose resilience, 
resolve, and commitment to others transformed both the face and future 
of our island.
  Across a lifetime of service, Senator Lujan persisted in her pursuit 
of an improved quality of life for all who call our island home. After 
graduating from George Washington High School in 1951, Senator Lujan 
earned a bachelor's degree in Secondary Education, a Juris Doctor, a 
master's degree in Elementary School Administration, an Education 
Specialist degree in General School Administration, and license as an 
Educational Research Consultant--all of which were fundamental to the 
work she realized over the years. Navigating an extensive career within 
Guam's education system, Senator Lujan served as a teacher, principal 
of Wettengel Elementary School, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum 
and Instruction, Associate Superintendent, Acting Director of 
Education, and Chairwoman of Guam's first-ever Board of Education. 
Through these roles she spearheaded vital initiatives and reinvestment 
into CHamoru language learning and culture programs that shape the 
experiences of our youth to this very day. Moreover, her added 
contributions as a CHamoru Language Instructor at the University of 
Guam, translator for the Guam Constitution, and CHamoru newscaster with 
Guam's Public Broadcasting Radio Station (KGTF) have strengthened our 
collective mission to revitalize and preserve our native tongue.
  With an unwavering passion for the people and determination to make a 
difference, Senator Lujan carried her fight for equity and justice into 
the realm of politics. Elected to serve 6 consecutive terms in the Guam 
Legislature, she championed policies that have meaningfully elevated 
our institutions and continue to inform generations of leaders. Most 
notably, her achievements include the establishment of the Supreme 
Court of Guam, Jury and Appointed Counsel Trust Funds, Judicial 
Building Fund to construct the Guam Judicial Center, and the Crime 
Victims Bill of Rights as well as the enactment of the Child Protective 
and Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Acts and Reactivation of the 
Criminal Injuries Compensation Commission. Further, she testified in 
front of the Federal War Claims Commission to advance CHamoru WWII 
survivor restitution and served as Chair of our Senatorial Committees 
on Judiciary and Criminal Justice, Corrections, Economic Development, 
Housing and Community Development, Federal & Foreign Affairs, and 
Health, Welfare and Ecology. Outside of her elected and appointed 
duties, however, Senator Lujan also made it a point to dedicate her 
knowledge, tools, and perspective to countless organizations such as 
the Salvation Army, Democratic Party of Guam, Soroptimist International 
of Guam, Guam Women's Issues Task Force, International Women's Club of 
Guam, Phi Delta Kappa Society, and Catholic Daughters of America. By 
2015, she was awarded the prestigious Hustisia Award in recognition of 
her decades of distinguished service.
  Senator Lujan is an icon of public service and CHamoru excellence who 
continues to inspire many throughout our island to similarly rise in 
response to the needs of one's community. As part of the Greatest 
Generation of Guam, she admirably emerged as an agent of change and 
channeled a war-inflicted history of despair into unyielding purpose, 
and I join the People of Guam in remembering and celebrating her life 
and legacy of empowering CHamoru voices while promoting good governance 
and uncompromising justice. My family and I wish to extend our hearts 
and prayers for Senator Pilar Diaz Cruz Lujan, her family, and friends. 
Though Senator Lujan will be deeply missed, she will be welcomed at the 
Heavenly Gates by her dear husband, Senator Frank G. Lujan, daughter, 
Justice Monessa Lujan, parents, and siblings, and her love and memories 
will forever remain in the hearts of the People of Guam.