[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 8]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 10943]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF MARRIAGE--AND EXTRAORDINARY PUBLIC SERVICE--FOR 
                           ED AND JAN SLEVIN

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JERRY LEWIS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 22, 2008

  Mr. LEWIS of California. Madam Speaker, I am joining together with my 
friend and colleague, Ken Calvert, in celebrating the lives of some 
truly remarkable people.
  Fifty years ago, their life decisions seemed simple.
  The couple was planning their marriage. It was 1957 and a year away 
from their wedding--June 21, 1958--at the San Luis Obispo Catholic 
Mission de Tolosa.
  They talked about the family they would have; the careers--she in 
health; he in public affairs; how the San Francisco area--the City--
would be their habitat--history, family, relatives. Where else would 
one want to settle?
  Now--50 years later, looking back--it was simple, but different. 
Janet Amelia Janolis and Edward Joseph Slevin--Jan and Ed--lived, 
worked or traveled in over 50 countries; worked in each of California's 
58 counties, and lived for 15 years in Washington, DC., Los Angeles, 
and San Francisco, before returning home--to Novato, California.
  The series of adventures and challenges focused on commitment and 
dedication to their ideals while giving birth to five children. 
Together they raised four wonderful, loving daughters and suffered the 
loss of their final newborn, Peter, to heart disease.
  Jan, with her RN degree from San Jose Hospital, worked in hospitals 
in San Luis Obispo and Los Angeles, and then took a respite from 
nursing following the birth of Jeanne--followed by Cammie, Maureen and 
Jill over the next six years.
  Ed graduated from Cal Poly and went on to a post-graduate Coro 
Foundation fellowship in public affairs, served as state director of 
the California GOP and worked in Republican political campaigns 
throughout California for most of the 1960s.
  Once life had mellowed a bit, and the children were in school, a 
different path opened and the Slevin family joined the Peace Corps. 
1969 saw them moving to Western Samoa where Ed was country director to 
55 volunteers while Jan volunteered teaching community health and 
homemaking projects around the island.
  A promotion to Peace Corps country director in Malaysia led the 
family to Kuala Lumpur and an 18-month stint before relocating to 
Washington DC. Jan resumed her nursing as a specialist in infection 
control gaining post-graduate status at the Washington Hospital Center. 
Ed continued with Peace Corps as a regional director for 22 countries 
in North Africa, near East, Asia and the Pacific.
  1976 saw the Slevin's return to Novato; Jan to nursing at Novato 
Community Hospital and Ed re-opening his political consulting business 
and launching Western Polling and Research, a partnership specializing 
in public affairs. Jan's nursing work coincided with four teen-age 
daughters while also earning a science degree from St. Mary's College.
  But then the tug of international development work struck again. Jan 
and Ed went off to the Philippines in 1984 with Peace Corps, where Ed 
directed a contingent of 350 volunteers. Jan began four years of 
community health work throughout the poverty stricken barrios of Manila 
establishing baby clinics and organizing privileged Filipinos to join 
her quest for improving the life of their country folk.
  1988 saw them again return to Washington and the Peace Corps 
headquarters; Ed as an associate director of volunteer recruitment and 
selection; Jan leading the medical division's health clearance and pre-
departure health briefing for volunteer service.
  Ed then went to Capitol Hill as executive director to the House 
Republican Conference under the leadership of Conference Chairman 
Congressman Jerry Lewis and then on to serve as Chief of Staff to 
Congressman Ken Calvert.
  Ten years ago this traveling couple came home. Home to their beloved 
grandchildren Cameron, Mikaela, Brian, Nathan, Jana and Casey--and 
their daughters. Home to their family, relatives and friends.
  And yet they spent their life always being home.
  Regardless of their address, the constant in their life has been not 
only their commitment to help improve and contribute to the life of 
others but to each other. These past 50 years reflects the love and 
respect Jan and Ed have for each other. They have been and will always 
be lifelong partners, lovers, friends and adventurers.
  And for this we salute them.

                          ____________________