[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 6]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 7930]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                       A TRIBUTE TO RITA BEE HILL

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CALVIN M. DOOLEY

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 10, 2001

  Mr. DOOLEY of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to 
Rita Bee Hill of Visalia, California, a loving mother and wife, a 
community leader, and a dear friend of mine who passed away in an 
automobile accident on May 4, 2001.
  Rita was born in Hayward on Aug. 1, 1949. After graduating from 
California State Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo in 1971, Rita 
moved to Visalia to work for the Tulare County Planning Department. She 
married Jim Hill in Visalia on Dec. 16, 1972. Throughout her 17-year 
career with the Planning Department, she served in many local and state 
leadership roles and was instrumental in the establishing and managing 
the Tulare County Economic Development Corporation.
  In 1989, Rita joined my sister-in-law, Diana Dooley, as partners in a 
local public relations agency. The company, which later became Rita B. 
& Company, worked on behalf of local community projects and groups, 
exemplifying Rita's commitment to community.
  As a friend recently observed, Rita Bee Hill was her father's 
daughter. Her father, Carlos Bee, was speaker pro tem of the California 
Assembly and was a champion for higher education. Like her father, Rita 
believed people could solve problems by working together. She inspired, 
cajoled and shamed people into doing the right things and she rolled up 
her sleeves and worked alongside everyone from whom she requested help.
  Rita was active in a number of community organizations, serving as a 
member or leader of groups including the Visalia Chamber of Commerce, 
Visalia and County Center Rotary Clubs, Networking for Women, Visalia 
Planning Commission, City Manager's Advisory Group, California Women 
for Agriculture, Family Planning Program and the United Way of Tulare 
County. In 1998, Rita was recognized for her record of service by being 
bestowed with Visalia's Woman of the Year award in 1998.
  In addition to all she did for our community, Rita was extremely 
dedicated to her family. She is survived by her husband, Jim, a math 
instructor at Redwood High School; her son, Tony; her granddaughter, 
Libby; and a large extended family throughout the country. Rita also 
leaves behind many friends who feel as she treated them as family.
  On a personal note, my wife Linda and I had the opportunity to become 
close friends with Rita and Jim over the years. When I first ran for 
office at a time when few believed that I would succeed, Rita was one 
of my strongest and most dedicated supporters. She went on to be one of 
my most loyal supporters in all my subsequent re-election efforts, and 
even hosted my campaign office in her company's conference room for 
many years. This year, I designated her as my delegate to the 
California Democratic Party convention.
  Rita's strong civic spirit, generous heart, and concern for others 
were obvious to all those she touched. Always living life to the 
fullest and always advocating the most noble of causes, Rita was a 
shining example of what it means to be a citizen and friend. Her 
passing will leave a tremendous void in the life of the Visalia 
community.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today in paying tribute 
to Rita Bee Hill and celebrating her legacy of service to her family, 
her community, and her country.

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