[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 16]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 22111]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO ALAN WAKEFIELD

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. KEN CALVERT

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 17, 2009

  Mr. CALVERT. Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the life of 
Alan Wakefield, a close personal friend and valued member of my home 
town. Corona, California has been blessed by dynamic and dedicated 
leaders who willingly and unselfishly give their time and talent and 
make their communities a better place to live and work.
  Alan was five years old and attending kindergarten in Titusville, a 
small town in western Pennsylvania, when he first met a pretty young 
girl named Susan. For 58 years, Alan and Susan were best friends. For 
almost 39 years, they were husband and wife. Over the years, they have 
enjoyed a multitude of blessings, most importantly their son, Josh, and 
his wife, Jill, who have blessed Alan and Susan with two beautiful 
grandchildren. While Alan died long before we would have wished, Alan 
had some precious time to spend with his grandchildren. During those 
last months, Matthew and Garret witnessed the character of their 
``Poppy'' that will serve them well for the rest of their lives. They 
learned that Alan was a man who loved to laugh but was not afraid to 
cry; that he would stand strong to defend the values that were 
important to him, but would melt in the face of another's sadness. The 
size of his heart belied his stature, and his generosity touched so 
many lives.
  Since 1982, the Wakefields have owned ASJ Industrial Hose, whose name 
is an acronym for Alan, Susan and Josh. Alan would often say, ``Hose is 
my life.'' It was not, of course. His family was his life, along with 
the many friendships he formed over the years. He was also passionate 
about golf, was a gourmet cook, and an avid gardener who referred to 
plants by their Latin names. While Susan has been active in just about 
every organization in Corona with three or more members, Alan for the 
most part remained in the background; he was not ``a joiner.'' But a 
few years ago, he relented and joined the Corona Rotary Club, and was 
one of its most popular and active members.
  Near the end of his life, visitors would find Alan to be more 
interested in what they were doing than talking about his health. When 
friends would mention they were considering a trip or a home 
improvement project, Alan would say, ``Do it. Do it now.'' He was 
speaking from a perspective that the rest of us could only imagine, and 
some of us sensed that he was suggesting something more than that. 
Don't put off those trips and projects, but more than that, don't put 
off telling someone you care, righting a wrong and keep focused on your 
life's priorities.
  On behalf of all those who knew him, it is my honor to offer these 
remarks as a tribute to the life and legacy of my friend Alan 
Wakefield. His life and presence will be sorely missed and I extend my 
condolences to his dear family and friends.

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