[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 16815]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




             IN REMEMBRANCE OF HAROLD ``LEFTY'' ENCARNACION

                                 ______
                                 

                      HON. SANFORD D. BISHOP, JR.

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, October 28, 2015

  Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart 
to pay tribute to a devoted community leader, respected businessman, 
and loving father, husband, and dear friend, Harold ``Lefty'' 
Encarnacion. Sadly, Lefty, as he was affectionately known, passed away 
Tuesday, October 13, 2015. A candlelight vigil was held the very next 
evening with over 100 members of the community in attendance to share 
stories and give remembrance to Lefty and his service to the Columbus, 
Georgia community. A funeral service will be held on Wednesday, October 
28, 2015 at 7:00 p.m. at Ambassadors of Christ Fellowship in Columbus, 
Georgia.
  Harold ``Lefty'' Encarnacion was born on May 10, 1953 in the Bronx, 
New York to Puerto Rican immigrants. He worked as a maintenance 
supervisor at Fort Hamilton in New York and ran a small nightclub. 
Looking for a safer and more peaceful place to raise their family, 
Harold and his wife, Millie, moved to Columbus, Georgia in 1983.
  Upon arriving, Harold worked numerous jobs, including cab driving. 
Millie was a manager at a food market. After noticing a lack of 
resources for the Latino population of Columbus, Harold and his wife 
opened their own grocery store called Millie's International Market in 
Columbus, which sold a variety of ethnic foods and seasonings. The 
store quickly became a staple in Columbus, as well as a community 
center for the area's Hispanic and Caribbean populations.
  Although Millie's was successful in bringing together the Latino 
community of Columbus, Lefty believed there was more to be done to 
unify and empower this segment of the population. He managed Columbus' 
only Hispanic radio station, UNIDOS 107.7 FM until it closed in 2014. 
But in 2013, after many years of planning, Lefty partnered with 
Columbus City Councilor, Mimi Woodsen, to launch the inaugural Tri-City 
Latino Festival.
  The Tri-City Latino Festival is a tremendously successful 
celebration, and now a tradition, that brings together the Latino 
communities in the Chattahoochee Valley to celebrate this vibrant 
culture. It shows that this is an area that thrives on its diversity 
and unites members of the community to honor the struggle, sacrifice 
and success of their ancestors from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and 
Central and South America.
  Lefty was a beloved community leader and pioneer and his 
contributions to the city of Columbus will be remembered for years to 
come. More so, his kindness and emphatic resolve to push his community 
forward will live on through those who knew and loved him. On a 
personal note, I am proud to have called Lefty my friend of many years.
  Mr. Speaker, my wife Vivian and I, along with the more than 700,000 
residents of the Second Congressional District, salute Harold ``Lefty'' 
Encarnacion for his efforts to empower the Latino population of 
Columbus, Georgia and his everlasting commitment to his community. I 
ask my colleagues in the House of Representatives to join us in 
extending our deepest condolences to Lefty's family and friends during 
this difficult time. We pray that they will be consoled and comforted 
by an abiding faith and the Holy Spirit in the days, weeks and months 
ahead.

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