[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 15393]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




          A TRIBUTE TO HONOR THE LIFE OF GARY PATRICK FAZZINO

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                           HON. ANNA G. ESHOO

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, November 16, 2012

  Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of my dear 
friend and colleague, Gary Fazzino. He was born on June 15, 1952, and 
died on October 30, 2012, at his Palo Alto home following a 2\1/2\-year 
battle with multiple myeloma.
  Gary Fazzino was a genuinely kind man. He was learned, curious, 
inquisitive, fun loving and serious. In all my years of knowing him, I 
never heard him say an unkind word about anyone. He was multi-faceted 
and represented many good things to so many people. First and foremost, 
Gary was a loving husband and devoted father. He came late to the 
calling of parenthood, often joking that he did things backward, 
becoming a city councilmember at the age of 24 and a father at 56. Late 
or not, he adored his children and loved being a father. In the short 
time he had with his twins, Julia and Matthew, he imparted his deep 
love for them, his love for life, and his love of learning. He adored 
his beautiful wife Annette, and the glow of strength that she emits 
comes in part from knowing how well and fully she was loved by Gary.
  In addition to his family, the list of Gary's passions is a long one, 
but the first of these is the city his parents brought him to when he 
was a freshman in high school. Sal and Dolores Fazzino packed three 
children into the family station wagon and drove from Connecticut to 
California, with no job waiting, in search of a better life for all of 
them. They found it, and Gary found a community that he was proud of 
and loved deeply all the days of his life.
  Gary was a graduate of Palo Alto High School, and received his 
undergraduate degree with a major in Theology from Stanford University. 
He received a master's degree in public policy from Occidental College 
and earned an MBA degree from the University of Washington.
  Gary Fazzino was Palo Alto's unofficial historian, knowing more about 
the city and its history than anyone else. In fact, he was working on a 
history of the city at the time of his death. He became one of the 
youngest elected leaders in Palo Alto history when he joined the City 
Council in 1977 at the age of 24, and served on the Council from 1977 
to 1983, and from 1989 to 2001, and as Mayor in 1992 and 1999.
  Gary was also an ardent sports fan. He knew statistics for soccer 
teams on many continents, often making friends through his knowledge. 
He loved to run, ride bicycles, and travel, particularly to his beloved 
Italy. He loved people and maintained many friendships over many years 
and great distances.
  Gary had many and diverse interests, enough to occupy an average 
man's every waking hour, but Gary was not an average man. He worked for 
almost three decades at Hewlett Packard, rising to the top position of 
Vice President of Government Affairs, and moved on to lead as Vice 
President of Applied Materials. The offices he held at these major 
companies paint a picture of his business success, and are very much a 
part of his Silicon Valley story. Gary was a leader in the Valley whose 
opinion was sought and whose ideas and creativity were always valued. 
He knew that technology and innovation were key to changing the world 
for the better, and founded TechNet to be the voice of the innovation 
economy in Washington, D.C. He was recognized by all as a voice for the 
Valley and two years ago was the inspiration for the Information 
Technology Industry (ITI) Council's Gary P. Fazzino Award for 
Innovation Excellence.
  Dean Garfield, President and CEO of ITI, wrote recently of Gary that 
``In truth, for the tech sector, there is no better definition of 
consistent leadership, no better demonstration of exemplary service 
than the work and the life of Gary Fazzino. A poet once called for men 
with ``strong minds, great hearts, true faith, and ready hands.'' Gary 
was one of those men, in a class by himself.''
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in expressing our deepest 
condolences to Annette, Julia and Matthew Fazzino, as well as the 
entire Fazzino family. It is fitting for the U.S. House of 
Representatives to honor the life of this extraordinarily brilliant, 
kind, honest and capable man who loved his community and his country so 
deeply. I count among the greatest blessings of my life my friendship 
with Gary Fazzino.

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