[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 161 (Friday, October 7, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1028]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIBUTE TO MARK KELLAM

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ADAM B. SCHIFF

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 7, 2022

  Mr. SCHIFF. Madam Speaker, I rise today in memory of a constituent of 
mine, Mark Kellam, who passed away on September 27, 2022. Mark was one 
of my district's preeminent newsmen--a veteran chronicler and good 
government watchdog, but most importantly, a neighbor, mentor and 
friend who fiercely loved his community and was deeply kind.
  Mark was born in New Castle, Indiana, to the late Josephine and James 
Kellam, and from the very beginning appeared destined for a career in 
storytelling. At Tri Junior Senior High School, he excelled in just 
about every expression of the narrative form: as a theater kid, a 
prizewinning speech competitor, and editor of the yearbook. While his 
talents and passions varied widely, his callings ultimately coalesced 
around a bachelor's degree in journalism, which he obtained from 
Indiana University in 1984.
  After more than a decade of reporting for his hometown paper and 
throughout the Midwest, Mark's yearning for adventure drew him westward 
to Chino, California. It was in California that Mark met the love of 
his life, Jeffrey Waack, and in 2004 Mark moved to West Hollywood to be 
with him. This cultural capital in my district was the setting for 
their many beautiful years together, including spending time in 
landmark establishments like Micky's, the Revolver Video Bar, and 
Basix. The latter is where Mark proposed to Jeff, and as soon as same-
sex marriage became legal in California in 2008, they were wed at Kings 
Road Park.
  As a new Angeleno, Mark quickly rose through the ranks of esteemed 
local publications like the Los Angeles Daily News and the Los Angeles 
Times Community News, where he was the city editor for the Glendale 
News-Press and Burbank Leader leading a team of reporters and editors, 
and mentoring many young staff who came through its doors. Most 
recently, he took the helm locally for the Outlook News Group. It was 
during these times that I got to know and talk with Mark often, and 
came to appreciate the intense kindness and heart he applied to his 
craft. Journalism--especially local journalism--is a hard business, but 
Mark made it seem effortless despite the hours he spent behind the 
scenes bringing countless stories to life.
  Though his journalism career was legendary, so too were his pursuits 
of those many talents and passions acquired in his youth. Mark was a 
renowned karaoke singer, a longtime member of the L.A. Wranglers 
country dance group, and a wonderful playwright whose work was produced 
in New York, Dayton, and Indianapolis. He loved cats, the ocean, and 
traveling with Jeff and their friends.
  Mark's legacy will live on through his masterful stories, as well as 
those of the many young reporters he mentored over the years. And it 
will live on through all those whose lives he touched with his 
unwavering warmth, humor, and heart.
  Madam Speaker, I ask all Members to join me in offering my sincerest 
condolences to Mark's husband, Jeff, and his loving family, friends, 
and readers across my district, and in remembering Mark Kellam for his 
service to West Hollywood, Glendale, Burbank, Los Angeles, and beyond.

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