[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 17455]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




          IN RECOGNITION OF THE PASSING OF GEORGE IRELAND, JR.

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JEFF MILLER

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 29, 2010

  Mr. MILLER of Florida. Madam Speaker, on behalf of the United States 
Congress, it is an honor for me to rise today to recognize the life of 
northwest Florida's beloved George Ireland.
  Mr. Ireland is survived by Jacqueline, his wife of 57 years; his 
three sons, George, Timothy and Bruce; as well as two grandchildren and 
three great-grandchildren. To his family and friends, I would like to 
offer my deep and sincere condolences. George Ireland was not only a 
compassionate man, but also had a sharp wit and an immense love for his 
community. Northwest Florida has truly suffered a great loss with his 
passing.
  Mr. Ireland served his country with honor and distinction in both the 
Korean and Vietnam Wars and retired after more than 27 years of service 
in the United States Air Force with the rank of Chief Master Sergeant. 
Following his retirement, Mr. Ireland moved to Niceville, Florida, 
where he served his local community as City Clerk for over 32 years and 
also served as President of the Florida Association of Clerks. Mr. 
Ireland was described by his colleagues as a ``financial whiz''; his 
remarkable aptitude for managing budgets and records helped the city of 
Niceville continually run a budget surplus.
  In 1978, he was the catalyst for the purchase of a cutting-edge 
computer system Niceville. He convinced the Niceville City Council to 
approve the purchase of computers to help facilitate a sophisticated 
internal system that allowed the city to save countless dollars. He was 
also responsible for founding an institute for the education and 
training of city clerks in northwest Florida; this service, provided at 
no cost to the cities of northwest Florida, was especially crucial as 
it allowed each city to cut the cost of sending their clerks to train 
in south Florida.
  Mr. Ireland's excellence in financial management was recognized by 
the Government Finance Officers Association, which bestowed upon his 
office more than 20 annual awards for excellence in financial 
reporting. He was also the recipient of the prestigious Robert N. Clark 
Award from the Florida Association of City Clerks.
  Mr. Ireland's dedication to his community was beyond reproach. After 
his retirement as City Clerk, he continued to give his time, even 
though he was off the payroll. He was also deeply involved in a myriad 
of fraternal organizations. Mr. Ireland was a member of the Veterans of 
Foreign Wars of Florida, where he served as District 1 Commander. He 
was a Master Mason of the Okaloosa Masonic Lodge 312 in Niceville, and 
was a 32nd Degree Knights Commander of the Court of Honor for the Hadji 
Shrine in Pensacola, Florida. He also served multiple times as 
President of the local Lions Club, but his real love was in serving as 
secretary and treasurer of the Lions Club--a position he held since the 
early 1960s. Mr. Ireland's service to his community was recognized in 
2005 when he was awarded the Melvin Jones Fellowship Award--the highest 
award given by Lions Clubs International for humanitarian service.
  To some George Ireland will be remembered as a courageous member of 
our armed services where he fought to protect the liberties and 
freedoms we all hold so dear; to others he will forever be a sharp, 
intelligent, and exceptionally compassionate public servant. He will 
long be remembered by his family and friends as a loving husband and 
father; and we will all remember his wit, energy, motivation and 
commitment to serving his community. His impact he had on northwest 
Florida can never be forgotten.
  Madam Speaker, on behalf of the United States Congress, it gives me 
great pride to honor the life of George Ireland, and his living legacy.

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