[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 1]
[House]
[Page 830]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            IN LOVING TRIBUTE TO JUDSON DANIEL ``JD'' DAVIS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Issa). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gohmert) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. GOHMERT. Mr. Speaker, it is worthy of note when someone lights up 
the world with his or her own sunshine and gives us a glimpse of such a 
beautiful soul that it is more understandable why our Creator would 
endow us with the blessings He has. Such a person was a young man named 
Judson Daniel Davis, known to his friends as JD. He was 23 years old, 
after having experienced life fully every single year he was alive.
  He was born in Tyler, Texas, on September 17, 1981, and he left for 
heaven on January 19, 2005. He was active in high school and in his 
church, which was Green Acres Baptist. He was constantly looking for 
ways to help others and to improve himself. Even at his young age, he 
had found that helping others somehow made him a more complete person. 
My own daughters knew him well, and even my wife and I felt quite 
comfortable when we knew one of our daughters would be with JD.
  He graduated from Whitehouse High School in Smith County, Texas, 
after which he attended Tyler Junior College, earning an associate's 
degree in business, and then proceeded to Texas A&M University, 
obtaining a degree in finance. After Texas A&M, this unusual individual 
studied kinesiology and earned a degree at the University of Texas. It 
does take a rather unique individual to be both a Texas Aggie and a 
Texas Longhorn, and that is what JD was.
  While at Texas University, he did not merely study, he also utilized 
his talent for playing musical instruments. He played the trombone in 
the Longhorns' basketball band in addition to performing with the Big 
Bertha crew. He began studying sports management in the UT program in 
Austin, and, during the Christmas break, he had talked about the 
potential for substitute teaching, because he loved to help others. His 
mother, Linda Davis, said, ``He always had a smile, a kind word for 
everyone, and was always sensitive to the needs of others.''
  The Longhorn band was excited about coming to play for the 
President's inauguration this month, and none was more excited than JD. 
He had run a fever the week before the trip, but he told the university 
health personnel he did not want to miss the President's inauguration. 
He was coming. He did feel ill on the plane ride and did not get off 
the bus when the other students did here in Washington. They got off 
physically, but he had proceeded ahead of them in spirit. He was 
pronounced dead shortly thereafter.
  He was looking forward to being an intern at Lake Hills Church in 
Austin, a position of which he had just learned about before he came to 
Washington. He was to start rehearsals when he returned from Washington 
for a leading part in the play, ``The Lion, the Witch, and the 
Wardrobe.'' Just as he had been active in his work at Green Acres 
Baptist Church, he was determined to try to make as big an impact as he 
could, wherever he could. As if to subconsciously follow the admonition 
of David to number our days aright, JD numbered and filled every one. 
As a sign in his room said, ``Life is short, so fish hard.'' His mother 
Linda said the picture and sign that most exemplified JD's life says, 
``The value of life lies not in the length of our days, but in the use 
we make of them.''
  JD brought life and hope and good news to so many. He truly lifted 
spirits by his presence and leaves us much in his physical absence. He 
loved his neighbors, he loved his President, he loved his country. He 
loved the visible and auditory beauty given us by the Creator. May 
others be inspired by the life, living, and giving of Judson Daniel 
Davis, and may his loved ones be comforted in that knowledge.

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