[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 9]
[House]
[Pages 12120-12121]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




           PAYING TRIBUTE TO CHARLES TANGORA AND JACK KELLEY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Cole). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. McCotter) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. McCOTTER. Mr. Speaker, last week my district lost two beloved 
members of our community so, with sadness, I pay them posthumous 
tribute today.
  Local attorney, civic activist, and despite the fact I was the worst 
law clerk he ever hired, my friend, Charles ``Chuck'' Tangora will 
truly be mourned and missed. While practicing law in Livonia for over 
35 years, he raised a fine family and still found time to help improve 
the quality of life in our community, including being instrumental in 
ensuring the city of Livonia elected its first female City Council 
President, a quiet, mild-mannered schoolteacher named Georgia Joan 
McCotter.
  Of course, Chuck's natural leadership abilities were recognized by 
all involved. He was the president of the Italian American Club, past 
president of Livonia Rotary and of the American Diabetes Association. 
And, most importantly, he was known as the one person who could always 
bring opposing sides to a consensus in the community's best interests. 
Most recently, Chuck was instrumental in raising the sizable reward 
which helped police solve the Marco Pesce family murder case.
  And for all his benevolent works, Chuck, true to his fine, kind 
character never asked for anything in return but the smiles of those 
whose lives he touched. And once the immediate pain of his passing 
wanes in the winds of wistful recollection, as he, himself, would 
earnestly wish, there will again be smiles upon the faces of all who 
remember his life's legacy.
  Mr. Speaker, the second pillar of our community to fall was the 
Honorable Jack Kelley, who gave 19 years of distinguished public 
service to the city he loved as a member of the Detroit City Council. 
If one word were used to sum up the man, no, it would not be one of the 
colorful words he often used, it would be the word ``honest.'' And if 
two words were used, they would be ``brutally honest.''
  It was his innate, intense honesty which led him to be a fast friend 
and fair foe, a colorful Celt who understood the brevity and the levity 
of our frail, flawed existence and felt compelled to help his fellow 
human beings in the short, sweet time God allowed.
  And he did. After graduating from St. Francis DeSales High School, he 
joined the Navy and served his country for 30 months in the Pacific 
arena during World War II. Upon his return home, he commenced a career 
of public service by being appointed deputy director of

[[Page 12121]]

the Building and Safety Engineering Department by then-Mayor Cavanagh, 
a post he held for 30 years. Then he was elected to his council seat in 
1974, and even now his legacy continues as his son, Kevin, the Redford 
Township supervisor, followed in his Democratic footsteps and continued 
the father's noble tradition of public service.
  Yes, a staunch Democrat, proud union man, and devout Irish Catholic, 
Jack Kelley's greatness was, to me, best expressed by another staunch 
Democrat, proud union member, devout Irish Catholic, and boyhood friend 
of Jack Kelley's, my late father who said, ``Jack Kelley was the only 
person I ever voted for who tried to break my nose. He is good 
people.'' Truly, we will never see the likes of Jack Kelley again, and 
truly we are all the lesser for his loss.

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