[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 15661]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            HONORING THE SERVICE OF DEAN AND JEAN NICHOLSON

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. JIM COSTA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 10, 2013

  Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Dean and Jean 
Nicholson for their years of dedication and service to their community. 
Sanger, California, is a better place today because of the Nicholsons' 
positive influence and compassion.
  Dean and Jean met at Nebraska State Teachers College in Kearney, 
Nebraska. Dean was raised in Superior, and Jean grew up in Fairbury. In 
1941, Dean joined the United States Military, and served in the Army 
for two years. After Dean completed his service, the Nicholsons moved 
to Sanger.
  Dean was hired at Sanger High School, and taught algebra, geometry, 
and trigonometry for 38 years. Students and faculty admired Dean and 
his ability to teach, and for 20 years he served as Chairman for the 
Math Department. When Dean was not in the classroom, he could be found 
on the court. He was the head varsity basketball coach for 23 years. 
For five of those years, he led his teams to the championship. Dean 
also coached varsity golf and tennis. In addition to his notable career 
at Sanger High School, Dean also taught advanced algebra and 
trigonometry for 42 years at Fresno City College. Coach Nicholson had 
thousands of students in his classroom during his long career as a 
teacher and he had a profound influence on all of them.
  Dean and Jean raised three children: Bob, Cindy, and Tom; and they 
have six grandchildren. Jean was a stay-at-home mom with three 
children, but most would agree that she was a mother to countless 
individuals throughout the community. Her kind and loving character 
makes it easy for people to go to her when they need to hear caring 
words or sound advice. Family and friends who are close to the couple 
often say that, ``you can hardly say Dean without Jean.'' They are an 
amazing team who exemplify the meaning of true love.
  Teaching and coaching have always been important aspects of Dean and 
Jean's lives but above everything else is their faith. Since 1954, they 
have been members of the Presbyterian Church of Sanger. For 20 years, 
Dean and Jean played a prominent role in the Fellowship of Christian 
Athletes, and for the last several decades they have both taught Sunday 
school. Dean and Jean have positively impacted the lives of hundreds of 
students with their guidance and leadership.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Dean and 
Jean Nicholson for their years of service to the community that they 
love so dearly.

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