[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 199 (Wednesday, December 21, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1326]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING THE LIFE AND CONTRIBUTIONS OF PROFESSOR AND AUTHOR, JACK E. 
                               FERNANDEZ

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. KATHY CASTOR

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 21, 2022

  Ms. CASTOR of Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of the 
life and contributions of Jack Eugene Fernandez, a Tampa native and 
true renaissance man, who passed away on July 31, 2022 at the age of 
92.
  Jack was born and raised in Tampa by his parents, Jacinto Fernandez 
and Matilda Fernandez-Vila, along with his sister Anita Fernandez 
DeMesa. He spent much of his childhood exploring and playing around 
Downtown Tampa where his father owned a shoe repair shop. It was in his 
father's store that Jack would eventually meet his beloved wife, 
Sylvia.
  Jack graduated from Hillsborough High School in 1947. From there, he 
went to the University of Florida and--all before the age of 24--earned 
his Bachelors, Masters and PhD degrees in Organic Chemistry. Jack was 
later drafted by the Army and stationed at Walter Reed Army Medical 
Center in Washington, D.C., where he worked for the civilian Operations 
Research Office. Following his military service, Jack turned to 
academia. He moved to Durham, North Carolina to pursue a teaching 
opportunity as well as a Damon Ruyon Grant to conduct cancer research 
at Duke University. He then worked as a research chemist at the Eastman 
Kodak company in Kingsport, Tennessee before deciding to move back to 
his hometown of Tampa with Sylvia and their 3 sons.
  Jack and his family returned to Tampa in 1960 when instruction first 
began at the newly established University of South Florida. He worked 
as a chemistry professor with the USF charter faculty and sponsored 
over 20 graduate students, published over 50 research articles in peer 
reviewed chemical journals and wrote 5 chemistry textbooks throughout 
his tenure. He even served abroad as a Fulbright Scholar in Madrid, 
Spain and Bogota, Colombia. Over the course of his career with the 
University, Jack received 5 teaching awards, including the All 
University Teacher of the Year Award.
  Following his retirement from USF in 1995, Jack turned to his next 
career as a writer. Taking inspiration from his own experiences and the 
stories he heard growing up, Jack wrote Tampa-based novels, short 
stories and poems as well as columns for La Gaceta, Cigar City Magazine 
and the Tampa Tribune. His most acclaimed work was his novel, Cafe Con 
Leche, which tells the story of the multi-racial, multi-cultural 
community within Tampa's historic Ybor City during the early 19th 
century.
  Above all else, Jack loved his family. He is survived by his wife of 
71 years, Sylvia, and his 3 sons and their wives: Jack and Anne, Albert 
and Nancy, and Rudy and Meg. He is also survived by his 6 grandchildren 
and 6 great grandchildren.
  Madam Speaker, on behalf of my neighbors in Tampa Bay and the 
citizens of Florida, I am proud to honor Jack Eugene Fernandez for his 
lifelong commitment to service above self. As a veteran, scientist, 
teacher, writer and family man, Jack touched the lives of so many. All 
in our Tampa Bay community are eternally grateful for the legacy he 
leaves behind and will continue to cherish his wonderful contributions 
to our home.

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