[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 7]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 9228-9229]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                A TRIBUTE TO MR. DEWAYNE CHARLES HESTER

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MIKE McINTYRE

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, June 18, 2012

  Mr. McINTYRE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a 
tremendous public servant, Deputy Sheriff Dewayne Charles Hester, who 
served the people of Bladen County as a law enforcement officer for 
more than a decade. The Bladenboro community recently and unexpectedly 
lost this dear friend and beloved lawman, but his influence and 
compassion for the people he served will live on. I rise today to honor 
him and pay tribute to his memory.
  Deputy Hester's career in law enforcement began in the City of 
Elizabethtown Police Department, and his hard work earned him the title 
of Sheriff's Deputy with the Bladen County Sheriff's Department. Deputy 
Hester was well-respected for his dedication to keeping the citizens of 
Bladen County safe.

[[Page 9229]]

  Deputy Hester made a lasting mark on his community, our state and our 
nation. We all owe him a tremendous debt of gratitude, and we can best 
honor his memory by honoring his commitment to public service.
  A man of faith, Hester was a member of Hickory Grove Baptist Church 
in Bladenboro. We know today that he is resting at home in peace and 
joy with his Savior.
  As a Member of the Law Enforcement Caucus, I have been personally 
aware of Deputy Hester's commitment and service. Following the tragedy 
befalling our friend and colleague, Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, I 
benefitted from the professionalism, courtesies, and respect he showed 
as he provided protection for me during one of my ``Conversations with 
the Congressman'' meetings at the Town Hall in Elizabethtown. This was 
but one example of his answering the call of duty wherever and wherever 
he was needed.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in remembering a 
dedicated community leader, a friend to many throughout North Carolina 
and a wonderful husband, loving father, and dutiful son. Deputy Dewayne 
Hester will be dearly missed by his family--his wife, Tammie Hester; 
his daughters, Haley and Hannah Hester; his two brothers, Jamie and 
Kenneth; and his mother, Elfriede Hester.
  Our thoughts and prayers are with them during this difficult time, 
and we will continue to remember him as an honorable man who gave his 
life in the line of duty.

                          ____________________