[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 110 (Friday, June 23, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E613]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     HONORING THE LIFE OF IRA SHARP

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. MIKE LEVIN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, June 23, 2023

  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the life and 
achievements of Ira Sharp, who passed away on Saturday, June 10, 2023. 
He is survived by his wife Rose Ann Sharp, daughter Elizabeth Sharp, 
son Andrew Sharp, daughter-in-law Carine Harambillet Sharp, grandson 
Samuel Sharp as well as his sisters, Jacqueline Schroeder, Barbara 
Jensen, and Sally Harman, as well as their families.
  Mr. Sharp received a bachelor's degree from Washington University in 
St. Louis before earning a J.D. at Columbia Law School. After law 
school, Mr. Sharp became a practicing attorney before moving to D.C. to 
take over a then struggling family business. For the next two and a 
half decades, Mr. Sharp would use his expertise and perseverance to 
transform the company into a thriving business, later selling it to a 
Fortune 1000 company.
  As a resident of the California 49th Congressional District, Mr. 
Sharp was an active member of the community. He was appointed to the 
San Diego County Civil Service Commission as well as sat on several Del 
Mar City Council committees and the Del Mar School District Independent 
Citizens Oversight Committee. Additionally, Mr. Sharp contributed to 
the Del Mar Foundation, the Rancho Santa Fe Democratic Club, and the 
Chairmen's RoundTable, a group that provides mentorship to businesses 
in San Diego County.
  Mr. Sharp's true passion was advocacy for gun violence prevention. 
Following the Parkland Shooting in February of 2018 and the birth of 
his grandchild, Mr. Sharp along with his wife Rose Ann Sharp founded 
NeverAgainCA. Mr. Sharp then went on to create SafeStorageCA in 2019, 
where he brought together elected officials and gun violence prevention 
groups. The impact of Mr. Sharp's work can be seen in the passage of AB 
452, which requires California public school districts to send students 
home with information about the importance of safe firearm storage, as 
well as the passage of AB 893 and SB 264, which ban the sale of 
firearms and ammunition at the Del Mar and Orange County Fairgrounds.
  More recently, Mr. Sharp spent time as a board member for the Brady 
Campaign, a national nonprofit whose mission is to ensure that every 
community is safe from the epidemic of gun violence in our country.
  Ira Sharp's tireless advocacy is a reminder of the immense impact an 
individual can have on their community and the importance of 
collaborating with others to make our community a safer place. It has 
been an honor to celebrate Ira Sharp's remarkable life and his success 
which continues to inspire.

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