[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 6]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 7265-7266]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     TRIBUTE TO JOHN CONRAD KAPTUR

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MARCY KAPTUR

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 21, 2004

  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, it is a great privilege today to offer 
respectful words for history to pay tribute to John Conrad Kaptur on 
behalf of the entire Kaptur family--his wife Rita; children Stephen, 
Christopher, Renee, James/Christine, Kenneth, Regina/Jeff; sisters 
Virginia, Lillian, Christine; and the grandchildren Nicole, Michael, 
Cassandra, Ashley, Brittany, Jacob, and Lucas. Let us honor his 
beautiful life. Surely, he is loved.
  His children observe: ``Dad has a smile that would immediately tell 
all that he was happy to be in company with you. He enjoyed a good joke 
and always enjoyed a brewed cup of tea. `Refreshing,' he would say. 
John was a gentleman, also a strong man, a man who exemplified the 
motto by which he lived: `always faithful.' Our own father, his uncle, 
said of John, `He knew how to be a man.'''
  Born in 1925, John was a devoted son of Szepan and Mary. He was his 
parents' first and only born son and the eldest of 16 children, an 
American of Polish heritage. He grew up attending St. Stanislaus Church 
and Libbey High School in tough economic times. He knew struggle. He 
worked hard. He possessed the drive, inventiveness and skill for which 
Kaptur men are known. His kindness was rooted deeply in his early years 
when people survived by holding onto one another.
  He valued family--to celebrate life and to weather the rough times. 
At 79, he was the patriarch of the Kaptur family.

[[Page 7266]]

  John was a tot when Wall Street crashed in 1929 ushering in the Great 
Depression of the 1930s. No jobs were to be had. For people today, it 
is hard to describe how hard life was back then--before America had a 
minimum wage, before there was enough to eat for so many families, 
before there was Social Security and Medicare. That was the world into 
which John was born. He never forgot. But he always kept moving 
forward. He was so talented. He possessed the Kaptur man's physique--
sturdy, square jawed, full of wanderlust, but steady, with a heart of 
gold so big his body could hardly contain it.
  At 17, following in his father's footsteps, he enlisted in the U.S. 
Marine Corps--the elite, special branch of the U.S. Armed Forces 
especially trained for amphibious assault. He served in the Pacific 
Theater during World War II--first training at Camp Le Jeune in New 
River, North Carolina. In September, 1942, he departed on a troopship 
out of San Diego as a member of the 3rd Marine Division for the 
Bouganville invasion of American Samoa. He contracted a mosquito borne 
illness in late 1943 after the Guadalcanal invasion. A natural leader, 
he rose in rank in the Corps and later in the Reserves from Private 
First Class, to Lance Corporal, to Corporal, to Sergeant, and Staff 
Sergeant. He served honorably 12 years in the Corps and Reserves. He 
was a patriot.
  When I look at his beautiful family, I repeat the Marine Corps 
saying: ``The marines have landed, and the situation is well in hand.'' 
John maintained a keen interest in world events and helped shape them. 
In his mid 30s, John married Rita Mominee. What a match this has been! 
Smiles, a house full of activity, travel, joy. Together, they raised a 
magnificent family: 4 boys--Stephen, Christopher, James, Kenneth--and 
finally a girl--Regina. What a blessing he was able to watch them grow 
up and flower into adulthood.
   He enjoyed every minute. During his long life, he also experienced 
the Great Depression, World War II, the Korean War, Sputnik and the 
landing of the first man on the moon, the collapse of the Soviet Union, 
where his own father had served in Marine Corps in Vladivostok, and he 
ushered in the 21st century. All the while, John kept steady with his 
family and garden blooming, a man of quiet strength, a gentleman, good, 
and kind. To ease the sorrow, we should think about what each of us can 
do in his name, as a living prayer. For he will come to us now in a new 
way, not on our time but on his time. His children, through Regina, say 
about him:
  ``Dad was proud to be Catholic and to have served in the United 
States Marine Corps. His talents were many.'' After working nearly four 
decades in industrial production planning at Dura Corp. and later, 
retiring from Chrysler-Jeep as a planner in the engineering division, 
he quickly went out to do plumbing. ``The love of people and good 
conversation made me want to do it,'' he said. He always worked a hard 
day supporting his large family.
   He most loved his family. He celebrated his 45th wedding anniversary 
not long ago with his wife, Rita, along with his family. What a strong 
and devoted spouse Rita has been. Jim and Christine shared their home 
for that event, just as they did for the wake after his Christian 
burial. Dad was very proud of Jim's accomplishments as a Paramedic/
Toledo Firefighter and the perseverance he has to move up. He found 
great comfort in his knowledge. He would always take a nap in the 
afternoon so he could stay up to welcome Ken home from a hard day's 
work, and talk about the Lottery. When the day came to around 3 o'clock 
he would look for Chris to come by and have some good conversation. For 
Steve, he was very thankful for the skills it took to fix his car or 
use his trailer. As he was fathering all these boys, he became so very 
proud of their hard work and perseverance on a job. Regina knows her 
dad is proud of her accomplishments and the love, care, and comfort she 
had for him in his time of need. ``Dad taught me respect, compassion, 
diplomacy, perseverance, and the ability to know people and to have the 
psychology of life. Most of all, he taught me to love a human being, no 
matter if they were challenged or not.''
  Then there are the grandchildren: He loved each and every one of 
them--Nicole, Michael, Cassandra, Ashley, Brittany, Jacob, Lucas. 
Whether John wanted to play hockey in the driveway, or bump the tree 
with the tire swing, or pick up sticks in the yard, or take a walk to 
the grapes, or even around the block. He may have just wanted a 
conversation with you, he loved you all. And I might add, our last 
conversation, just a few days ago, was about getting together with the 
grandchildren for dinner when he was feeling better.
  And the grandchildren couldn't have come without the loving 
daughters-in-law and son-in-law he gained: Renee, Christine and Jeff.
  Regina writes: ``I was very glad to have spent the time with Dad 
these past few months and through all his surgeries. I would not have 
wanted it any other way. So much value was built in the quality time we 
had. He recalled everyone in the present and in the past. Never was a 
cross word said. His words were always very kind. Dad had the best 
doctors and they always took our phone calls without hesitation and 
went beyond to meet our needs. Dad was always open to their suggestions 
that would help him. He had told the doctors: `Let's do it--I am a 
patient man.' With tears in my eyes, I watched as God wrapped his arms 
around Dad and said to him, `My precious child, come with me. You 
surely were a treasure on this earth, but now I need you in Heaven.' So 
God reached out and showed him the bright light, and said, `I will 
reunite you all again some day.' With tears in all of our eyes we will 
meet him again in heaven where he will greet each one of us with a 
smile and say, `It's great to see you.' `Thank you for coming' `Can I 
get you a cup of tea, or perhaps a Coop e'Kava and cookie?'''

                                  Poem

     Because you went first and I remain,
     To walk the road alone.
     I live in memories garden, Dear,
     With happy days we've known.
     In Spring I wait for roses red,
     When faded, the lilacs blue.
     In early Fall when brown leaves fall
     I'll catch a glimpse of you.

     Because you went first and I remain,
     For battles to be fought.
     Each thing you touched along the way
     Is now a hallowed spot.
     I hear your voice, I see your smile,
     Tho blindly I now grope.
     The memory of your helping hand
     Now buoys me on with hope.

     Because you went first and I remain,
     One thing I'll have to do:
     Walk slowly down that long long path,
     For soon I'll follow you,
     I want to know each step you took,
     So I may take the same,
     For some day down that lonely road,
     You'll hear me call your name.

                          ____________________