[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 12]
[House]
[Page 17794]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        IN MEMORY OF ROSS BEACH

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Moran) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. MORAN of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I rise this evening in memory of my 
friend, Ross Beach. The House rules only allow me 5 minutes to speak, 
and it's difficult to summarize anyone's life in such a short time, but 
impossible to do justice to the life of Mr. Beach.
  Ross passed away this weekend at his home at the age of 92. Ross was 
defined by family and friends, business success, and charity.
  A lifelong Kansan, Ross received his education in my hometown of 
Hays. Following a childhood upbringing in the oil and gas fields of 
western Kansas, Ross enrolled at Kansas State University, where he met 
and later married the love of his life, Marianna Kistler. They were 
married in 1941. Ross's service as a naval aviator during World War II 
sparked an interest in flying that would continue throughout his life.
  Ross was a pioneer in our State in banking, radio and television, and 
in oil and gas. His many professional endeavors created jobs and 
economic opportunity for many Kansans. He was the president of Kansas 
Natural Gas Company and chairman of the board of Douglas County Bank. 
His success in the business world was overshadowed only by his and his 
wife's generosity. Ross and Marianna are among our State's most 
prolific supporters of arts and education--the greatest supporters that 
perhaps we will ever see in our State. On the campus of Fort Hays State 
University, the Beach family helped fund the Beach-Schmidt Performing 
Arts Center, and Ross's generosity made possible the construction of 
the nationally renowned Sternberg Museum of National History.
  The Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art on the campus of Kansas 
State University bears the name of Mrs. Beach, which was named for her 
in commemoration of their 50th wedding anniversary. My wife, Robba, and 
I have been honored to serve on the board of visitors at the art museum 
that bears the Beach name, and we're able to witness firsthand the 
passion and commitment Ross and Marianna had for culture and the arts 
in Kansas. On the campus of the University of Kansas, Ross assisted in 
the formation of the Beach Center on Disability, where Kansans with 
disabilities and their families are helped to lead healthier and more 
productive lives.
  Kansans from all walks of life have benefited from Ross's compassion 
to others and his service to community. He was recognized on many, many 
occasions, including his designation as Kansan of the Year in 2002; the 
President's Award from Kansas State University in 1989; and, along with 
his wife, the Citations for Distinguished Service from both the 
University of Kansas and Fort Hays State University.
  Despite his stature in our community and State, Mr. Beach always 
treated every person he encountered with respect and dignity. Anyone 
who met Ross easily became a lifelong friend. As a young newlywed 
couple starting out our new life in Hays, the first invitation Robba 
and I received was to come to Ross and Marianna's home for dinner. 
There was never a more gracious couple than the Beaches.
  For a large portion of my life, I joined Ross and other businessmen 
and professionals for lunch at The Roundtable. While there was a lot of 
talk of sports and politics, I learned a lot more about life by 
listening to Mr. Beach. From our earliest meeting to just last month, 
he was my friend and adviser. I hate the thought that no longer do I 
have the ability to pick up the phone and see what Mr. Beach thought of 
one of my ideas or to discuss what was going on in our small-town 
neighborhood or what was happening on the world stage.
  My friendship with Mr. Beach certainly opened doors in business and 
politics; but, more importantly, he gave me the confidence to realize 
that this small-town Kansas kid could one day be able to serve his 
State and the Congress of the United States of America.
  While my family and I are saddened by the death of Ross Beach, we 
take comfort in knowing the legacy of Mr. Beach will endure far beyond 
our own generation. While Ross Beach may have donated his talents and 
treasure, it is his caring nature and generous soul that I and many 
others will miss most. To Marianna and daughters Mary McDowell and 
husband Gary; Terry Edwards and husband R.A.; and Jane Hipp and husband 
Steve, I offer my deepest sympathies. I ask my colleagues to join me in 
celebrating the life of a man dedicated to service and committed to 
making Kansas and America a better place to live and work.
  We are told to whom much is given much is expected. Ross Beach more 
than fulfilled this expectation, and I'm honored this evening to pay 
tribute to an amazing, larger-than-life man that I had the fortune to 
know for nearly 35 years. The man who loved to fly soared throughout 
his life and landed safely on heaven's shore.

                          ____________________