[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 97 (Friday, June 7, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E602-E603]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 HONORING THE MEMORY OF MR. JOHN BREWER

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. DEREK KILMER

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, June 7, 2024

  Mr. KILMER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of 
Mr. John Brewer. A passionate journalist and dedicated community 
leader, John passed away in mid-April.
  I got to know John when I first ran for Congress back in 2012. From 
the first moments I spent with him, I learned just how deeply he cared 
about his community, and his passion for local journalism.
  John was the consummate newsman and dedicated his professional career 
to the field of journalism. His first job was with the weekly Upland 
News in his hometown of Upland, California in 1965. From there, he went 
on to work with The Associated Press for 19 years as a reporter, 
editor, bureau chief, and executive in Seattle, Los Angeles, and New 
York.
  As the Seattle bureau chief, he oversaw the coverage of the 
devastating 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens. In Los Angeles, he 
oversaw the coverage of the 1984 Summer Olympics. During his 10 years 
as president, CEO, and editor-in-chief of The New York Times 
Syndication Sales Corp., he enlisted high-profile columnists, including 
Mikhail Gorbachev, Martha Stewart, and former President Jimmy Carter.
  After a prolific career around the country, John joined the Peninsula 
Daily News in 1998, where he championed local journalism until his 
retirement in 2015.
  John was heavily involved in his community in the North Olympic 
Peninsula, supporting over 25 nonprofits and other organizations, 
including the Port Angeles Downtown Association, Community 
Multicultural Alliance, and Peninsula Home Fund. He served on several

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community boards and was a past president of Allied Daily Newspapers of 
Washington, a statewide press association.
  Mr. Speaker, I join our communities of Clallam and Jefferson counties 
in grieving the loss of a pillar of the community, passionate and 
dedicated journalist, and compassionate father, brother, husband, and 
friend. I join John's wife, Barbara, his two sons, and the rest of his 
family in grieving this sudden and tragic loss.
  Mr. Speaker, I recognize that journalism, not just at the local 
level, but across the country, is better because of the dedicated work 
and passion of Mr. John Brewer. His impact and legacy will be felt in 
Port Angeles and the broader Washington State community for many, many 
years to come.

                          ____________________