[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 9]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 12623]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                     HONORING THE LIFE OF ED SMITH

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. SCOTT McINNIS

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 28, 2001

  Mr. McINNIS. Mr. Speaker, I ask today to honor Ed Smith, a true hero, 
on behalf of Congress. Ed served as the Centennial football coach, as 
school district administrator, and he served as a model for how to win, 
how to lose graciously, and how never to give in. He was also a man 
devoted to his family up until his recent death just months before his 
100th birthday.
  Professionally, Ed was revered by his colleagues. Central coach, 
principal and teacher John Rivas told Loretta Sword of The Pueblo 
Chieftain, ``He was the godfather of it all, you might say, and he was 
always there to help me if I had a problem or a situation I didn't have 
a handle on.'' Ms initiative helped ensure that the Dutch Clark Stadium 
had the financial and community support necessary to be built. Also, he 
made certain that the annual All-Star games were properly organized 
when they were in Pueblo, and that everything went smoothly and safely. 
For his success, he was even named honorary meet director and was 
honored for the work he did in the athletic arena for the community. Ed 
was a gifted athlete himself, and he never lost his love for 
competition, or his skill at it. When he was 91 years old, he shot a 
hole-in-one with thirty-year-old golf clubs he received as a retirement 
gift.
  During his life, Ed received many honors and awards, including having 
his name on the rolls of the Greater Pueblo Sports Association Hall of 
Fame and the Centennial Hall of Fame, but his greatest reward was that, 
as former coach Sollie Raso attested, ``I honestly think . . . [he] and 
his wife, they were at peace with one another, their family, and their 
God.'' Indeed, Ed was a dedicated husband up until his wife, Margaret 
Boyer Smith's, death. He also devoted himself to his two sons, Dr. Dean 
B. Smith, who preceded him in death, Dr. E. Jim Smith, and to his 
sixteen grandchildren and nineteen great-grandchildren.
  Clearly, Mr. Speaker, Ed Smith was an inspiration to his students, 
colleagues, family and friends throughout his life. I am proud to have 
this opportunity to pay tribute to such an amazing man.




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