[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 20]
[Senate]
[Pages 27606-27607]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     TRIBUTE TO ROBERT LARSEN BRAY

  Mr. REID. Madam President, today I wish before the Senate to honor 
Robert Larsen Bray. Although he is not a resident of my home State of 
Nevada, his lifetime of service has been exemplary and is worthy of our 
attention. On October 30, 2009, Bob officially retired from his 
position as chief information officer for the Texas Department of 
Criminal Justice. This retirement marks the end of a career in public 
service that has been nothing short of monumental.
  Bob was blessed to come from a wonderful family. Like me, Bob was 
born the son of a hard-working man who went to great lengths to provide 
for his

[[Page 27607]]

family. Vern Bray, Bob's father, worked as a blast furnace operator, a 
gold miner, and also as a builder on the Hoover Dam, which is one of 
Nevada's prized possessions. Bob's mother, Myrl, instilled in her 
children a desire to learn and gain education. Three of her children 
went on to become outstanding educators, two of which did so in Nevada. 
My friend and Bob's oldest brother, Lawrence, was a longtime teacher in 
Las Vegas.
  Together with his wife and best friend, Maryann, Bob has raised a 
great family of his own. Over their 43 years of marriage they have 
raised nine children five girls and four boys. Their seven married 
children have provided the Brays with 20 grandchildren. Although it was 
difficult at times to provide and care for such a large family, the 
Brays fostered in their children an ardent work ethic and firm resolve 
to help their fellow man. I have witnessed firsthand the good they have 
bestowed upon their children, as my legislative correspondence manager, 
Vaughn Bray, is their eighth child.
  Much like his father, Bob has worked hard his whole life. At a young 
age he learned to keep working until the job was finished, an 
unpleasant notion when faced with the task of picking beets or cleaning 
irrigation ditches. As a man, Bob worked full-time at night for the 
defense contractor Hercules in order to pay for his education at the 
University of Utah. Later, Bob would attain a master's in public 
administration at Texas Tech University in much the same way.
  In order to provide for his family, Bob's work took him from Utah to 
Texas to New York to New Mexico and, finally, back to Texas. He has 
worked in some form of government for over 25 years. Most notably, he 
served as the director of planning at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, 
TX, and more recently as chief information officer for the Texas 
Department of Criminal Justice in Huntsville, TX.
  Throughout his life Bob has been a dedicated member of the Church of 
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As a 19-year-old, he served as a 
missionary in Canada under the direction of the current president of 
the LDS Church, Thomas S. Monson. He has gone on to serve in the church 
as a branch president, bishop, Stake president, and mission president 
in Nashville, TN. In these years of retirement that are soon to follow, 
Bob and Maryann are eager to continue to serve in any capacity 
possible. Bob has stated that if he has his way, the Brays will serve 
10 more missions.
  Although Bob had many duties at the home, office, and church, he 
still found time to serve his community. He and his wife labored as PTA 
presidents while their children were in elementary school. Bob has 
worked as a leader in the Boy Scouts, as a board member of the Lubbock, 
TX, Civic Center, and as a volunteer during Hurricane Rita. 
Politically, he has been involved on the local level of the Democratic 
Party, and even worked on the campaign of former Texas Congressman Kent 
Hance, the only politician ever to defeat former President George W. 
Bush in an election.
  As his career comes to an end, it is safe to say that Robert Bray 
will not resign himself to a life of golf and afternoon naps. Old 
habits cannot be broken, and Bob Bray is a worker. I have no doubt that 
he will continue to labor diligently to improve his community and to 
make life a little better for those around him. I wish him all the best 
in his retirement, and sincerely hope that the next generation of 
Americans contains a few Bob Brays.

                          ____________________