[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 17]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 23675]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




HONORING THE MEMORY OF NJ STATE ASSEMBLYMAN AND NEWARK CITY COUNCILMAN 
                            DONALD K. TUCKER

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DONALD M. PAYNE

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 25, 2005

  Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the memory of a former 
colleague and a friend, Assemblyman/Councilman Donald Kofi Tucker. I 
have known Assemblyman/Councilman Tucker for most of my adult life, 
serving with him on the Newark Municipal Council for many years.
  Donald served in the United States Air Force and following his 
honorable discharge, he became an activist in the Community. He was a 
man who looked after the needs of all the people. He was elected to the 
Newark Municipal Council in 1970 and began working as an elected 
official on behalf of the citizens of Newark. He worked diligently for 
decades as chairman of the Tax Abatement Committee of the Newark 
Municipal Council and he served as president of the National Black 
Caucus of Local Elected Officials (NBCLEO) for many years. He was also 
appointed and served as chair of the Passaic Valley Sewerage 
Commission. As one of the founders and chairman of the New Jersey Black 
Issues Convention (BIC), he had a mind to educate African Americans on 
the issues concerning the struggle for peace, equality and justice. He 
was elected to the New Jersey State General Assembly as an Assemblyman 
in the 28th Legislative District in 1997 and was named in 2001 and 
served as Speaker Protempore until his passing. Donald also supported 
the National Black Caucus of State Legislators (NBCSL). We must 
remember all the countless children and elderly he served as founder 
and president of ``The Centre, Inc.'', a community services 
multipurpose center serving children, youth and seniors on Elizabeth 
Avenue in Newark.
  Assemblyman/Councilman Tucker had views he firmly believed in and 
supported those views very passionately. But at the same time, he was a 
gentle man who gave of himself wholeheartedly. Even while he was ill, 
he still put the needs of his constituents before that of his own 
health.
  After lying in State in the Rotunda of Newark City Hall, a home-going 
service will take place on Tuesday, October 25, 2005 in Newark, New 
Jersey where his family, friends and colleagues will remember his 
legacy. I am certain that this legacy will live on in the people of 
Newark, throughout the State of New Jersey and across the Nation. He 
will be sorely missed.
  I ask my colleagues here in the U.S. House of Representatives to join 
me in paying tribute to the memory of this outstanding public servant 
and in offering our deepest condolences to his wife, Cleopatra and his 
three children, Donna Wynn, Stacey Carroll and Kiburi Tucker and his 
nine grandchildren.

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