[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 3]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 4015]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




         IN HONOR AND RECOGNITION OF IRA ALBERT ``SONNY'' BEACH

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. TODD TIAHRT

                               of kansas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 16, 2006

  Mr. TIAHRT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor and memory of the late 
Ira Albert Beach of Arkansas City Kansas, who passed away on February 
3rd 2006.
  Ira, known as ``Sonny'' to his friends, was a model American. Sonny 
was born without legs and with a deformed right arm. He spent the first 
years of his life in the Children's Hospital in Wichita, KS. After 
graduating from Winfield High School, he went on to junior college. At 
age 10, Sonny learned to drive a tractor with mechanical aides on his 
father's farm. Despite his disability, Sonny insisted on contributing 
to society with his work and his charitable ways.
  Sonny paid his way through junior college by hauling five gallon milk 
cans around his neighborhood. After college he married and had four 
children. His motto was, ``If man made it, man could fix it.'' Sonny 
made a living insulating homes, doing construction work, operating 
heavy equipment and backhoes, and picking up dead animals from farmers 
all over Oklahoma and Kansas and delivering them to rendering 
companies. Eventually Sonny sought out a position at General Electric. 
After a 36 year career, he retired from GE as a jet engine inspector. 
Sonny also served as an accountant for an oilman in eastern Kansas. At 
one time Sonny owned and operated a garbage collection business. Sonny 
was well known as a generous man who had a positive attitude towards 
life.
  Although Sonny was born disabled, he insisted that he was not 
handicapped. He refused to park in handicap parking, and insisted on 
never accepting any form of government benefit available to the 
handicapped or unemployed. Despite hardships Sonny Beach was able to 
overcome obstacles, work in numerous careers, and raise four beautiful 
children who survive him today.

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