[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 84 (Thursday, May 18, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E463]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          HONORING THE LIFE OF SERVICE OF CLYDE JOHN STANLAKE

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ELISSA SLOTKIN

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 18, 2023

  Ms. SLOTKIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a man who 
wore many hats, and wore all of them with a smile. Clyde John Stanlake 
of Laingsburg was a public servant, a pillar of the community, and a 
beloved face around town. His death leaves a void in the hearts of the 
Laingsburg community where his kindness and example of selfless service 
will never be forgotten.
  To say that Clyde loved Laingsburg is an understatement. To say that 
he served Laingsburg is woefully inadequate as well. For more than 30 
years, he literally put his life on the line for this community, 
serving as a firefighter, a medical first responder, and a lieutenant 
with LSW Emergency Services from 1987 to 2017. After a long shift of 
fighting fire's and saving lives, Clyde continued to give of himself in 
service with his other responsibilities: he was elected to multiple 
terms on Laingsburg City Council, served on the Planning Commission, 
and was president of the Library Board. As if that wasn't enough, Clyde 
devoted whatever spare time he had to community organizations. He was a 
lifelong member of the Lions Club, and the only member in the club's 
history to have been chosen to serve as president not once, not twice, 
but four times. Clyde chaired the annual Springtime Festival--
Laingsburg's biggest community event--for many years, and was grand 
marshal of the parade on several occasions.
  If you didn't know Clyde from the fire station, City Hall, the 
festival, or the Lions Club, you most certainly knew him from the 
grocery store. A faithful employee of the Sage Market for 40 years, no 
shopper walked through the door during Clyde's shift without receiving 
a friendly smile and a sincere welcome. Beloved by his coworkers, his 
managers, and shoppers alike, his honesty, integrity, and reliability 
were legendary.
  Clyde was the embodiment of community goodwill in virtually every 
form. He upheld his oath to serve and protect, ran for office to 
represent his community, volunteered for every cause, and never stopped 
trying to make a difference in people's lives. And he did it all with 
his signature smile. In the polarized, divided world we live in, 
Clyde's faithful service was all the more rare, and his absence is all 
the more painful.
  The Laingsburg community lost a bright light when Clyde passed away 
in February 2023, but his lessons call to us from every corner of the 
community if. we're willing to listen, to learn, and to try to use our 
lives as he used his: in service to each other. Mr. Speaker, I send my 
condolences to the Laingsburg community and ask that Clyde John 
Stanlake forever be remembered here, in the People's House, as someone 
who changed the world with a smile.

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