[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 3]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 4129-4130]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       PAYING TRIBUTE TO TED DIAZ

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. SCOTT McINNIS

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, April 9, 2002

  Mr. McINNIS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to 
honor an extraordinary man whose passion for life and incredible human 
spirit is an inspiration to us all. Ted Diaz, a native Coloradan whose 
passion for our great state is as constant and unyielding as any I've 
ever known, recently passed an impressive milestone, celebrating his 
eightieth birthday with a gathering of his friends and family.
  Ted was born on April 1st, 1922 in Delta, Colorado, as one of twelve 
siblings. He attended school in Silt, Colorado, and later moved to 
Rifle, where he currently resides. Throughout his life, he has been the 
consummate athlete and good citizen, winning accolades in basketball, 
softball, bowling and

[[Page 4130]]

horseshoes, while always giving his time and energy to the community as 
a mentor and a friend. He coached the town's American Legion baseball 
team, as well as the girls' town team, and umpired high school games in 
both the spring and summer. For 27 years, he selflessly gave his time 
to the community by marking the football field for high school games, 
and by volunteering to run the yard marker. In addition, he valiantly 
served in the U.S. Army from his station in the Philippines.
  While working for Re-2 for 27 years, Ted was also involved in a 
number of philanthropic activities. He is a member of the Elks, Knights 
of Columbus and American Legion, and served as commander of American 
Legion and VFW. In addition, he volunteers his time at preschool in 
Rifle and in Glenwood Springs. Perhaps his greatest accomplishment, 
however, was marrying Jo, his lovely wife of 52 years, and raising 
their son.
  Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I bring to the attention 
of this body of Congress, the life and spirit of such an incredible 
man, who is always able to brighten and invigorate the lives of those 
around him. He is truly an inspiration to all of us, and I, along with 
the many people whose lives he has touched, am honored to recognize his 
tremendous accomplishment in reaching his eightieth birthday, and more 
importantly, his passion for life and indomitable spirit.

                          ____________________