[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 65 (Thursday, April 10, 2025)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E311]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING THE LEGACY AND DEDICATED PUBLIC SERVICE OF REYNAUD LAVARNCE 
                                WALLACE

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. JIM COSTA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 10, 2025

  Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the legacy, and 
dedicated public service of Reynaud LaVarnce Wallace, a pillar of the 
Fresno community. Born on October 18, 1952, in Montgomery, Alabama, 
Reynaud was the eldest of six children born to Carl Phillip and 
Ernestine Jackson Wallace.
  In 1957, the Wallace family embarked on a journey westward, leaving 
Montgomery with their sons Reynaud and Rodney. The family eventually 
settled in the Nickerson Gardens Housing Project in Watts, Los Angeles, 
after stops in San Diego and San Francisco. There, young Reynaud earned 
the affectionate nickname ``Silver'', owing to a silver crown that 
adorned a chipped front tooth--an incident the precise details of which 
remain unconfirmed, as noted by his ever-loyal brother.
  Following the tumult of the 1965 Watts Riots, the Wallace family 
relocated to Altadena, California, where Reynaud attended Eliot Junior 
High School and John Muir High School. A bright and energetic student, 
Reynaud immersed himself in both academic and extracurricular pursuits, 
most notably as a member of the John Muir Cadet Corps, the precursor to 
the school's ROTC program. He graduated in June 1970 and pursued his 
passion for justice and community service by studying Police Science in 
college.
  In 1975, Reynaud married the love of his life, Deborah Ann Drayton. 
He went on to serve as Security Manager for Zody's Department Store in 
Pasadena and, in 1979, was entrusted with the leadership of the 
security team opening a new Zody's location in Fresno, California. It 
was in Fresno that the couple would welcome their daughter Jasmine in 
1987.
  Reynaud, or ``Rey'' as he came to be known, joined the Fresno Police 
Department in December 1981, beginning a storied and impactful career 
in public service that spanned nearly three decades. His legacy is 
perhaps best encapsulated in his founding of the Fresno Police 
Activities League (PAL) in 1992--an initiative that grew to include 30 
programs and served more than 3,500 youth annually, helping to build 
trust and hope in the community he so dearly loved.
  His accolades and achievements are too numerous to list in full, but 
among them are the Life Saving Medal of Valor (1985), Fresno Human 
Relations Commission Award (2003), NAACP Image Awards (1993 and 2005), 
African American Heritage Award (2008), and the Risk Taker and Dream 
Maker Award. He served as President of the Fresno Black Police Officers 
Association, was appointed to the California State Commission on 
Juvenile Justice, and offered his guidance at both the state and 
national levels of PAL.
  Despite the seriousness of his work, Rey's personality left an 
indelible mark. Known affectionately as ``Chocolate Thunder'', he was a 
force of nature--compassionate, commanding, and charismatic--whose 
legend, like his nickname, was built on stories his brother, in good 
humor, will neither confirm nor deny.
  Mr. Speaker, I invite my esteemed colleagues to join me in honoring 
the legacy of Reynaud LaVarnce Wallace who embodied the spirit of 
public service, community empowerment, and family devotion.

                          ____________________