[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 9]
[House]
[Page 12158]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




           REMEMBERING BROOKSVILLE'S VICE MAYOR, JOE JOHNSTON

  (Mr. NUGENT asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. NUGENT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember the life of the 
city of Brooksville's vice mayor and a good friend of mine, Joe 
Johnston III. Joe was as straightforward and as good as they come. The 
loss of his life has impacted the entire Hernando County community, and 
for obvious reasons.
  Joe was a family man. He dedicated his life to his wife, Diana, their 
three daughters, his two brothers, and seven grandchildren in the same 
place where his parents raised him. He attended our local schools, 
graduated from the University of Florida, and moved back to be a 
paralegal in the firm which his father established and helped to build.
  More often than not, Joe's devotion was indicative of his love for 
the greater community. Twenty years ago, Joe ran successfully for a 
seat on the Brooksville City Council and proudly served in that seat 
until his untimely death just this month.
  He was compassionate and caring about those around him, whether he 
knew you or not. Joe was known for being a steady hand on the council 
and was never backing down, even when the odds were against him. And 
people respected that. He became well known in our small town not 
solely because of his politics or his career; in fact, it was mostly 
what he did outside of it. He was an outdoorsman, a traveler, a sailor, 
an adventurer, and a great member of the community.
  Mr. Speaker, he understood that true appreciation in life comes from 
the experiences you have and the memories you make, and he embraced it 
with his all.
  It pains me that, after 10 years, Joe lost his battle with cancer. So 
I stand here today to remember a leader I valued and to celebrate his 
great life.

                          ____________________