[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 44 (Wednesday, March 8, 2023)]
[House]
[Page H1160]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF LEWIS BEAR

  (Mr. GAETZ asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. GAETZ. Madam Speaker, it is my honor to rise and celebrate the 
life of one of the greatest Florida men to have ever lived: Lewis Bear.
  Lewis was a legend for all times. He was a prolific businessman and 
an even more prolific philanthropist. Lewis was CEO of Florida's oldest 
privately held company, the Lewis Bear Company. It was started by his 
grandfather in 1876. Lewis grew this small family grocery distribution 
business to one of Florida's largest beer distributors. If you have 
cracked open a beer in my district, there is a pretty good chance that 
Lewis moved it.
  Lewis' generosity did not stop with libations. Through the Lewis Bear 
Family Foundation, he donated tens of millions of dollars to local 
organizations and charities, including hospitals and nonprofits focused 
on curing childhood cancer. He single-handedly protected the Deepwater 
Horizon oil spill settlement funds for northwest Florida and saw that 
the money was used for lasting economic development.
  I know that Lewis will be sorely missed by our family and by his 
family, especially by his wife, Belle, and their three children: Lewis, 
Cindi, and David.
  Northwest Florida will never be the same without Lewis Bear. We are 
certainly grateful that we had my friend for 82 years.

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