[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 15518]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          HONORING THE LIFE OF
                             JOHN J. AREIAS

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. JIM COSTA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 30, 2016

  Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and 
achievements of John J. Areias, who recently passed away this week at 
age 96. Mr. Areias was an exceptional father, grandfather, husband, 
dairyman, and friend, whose depth of commitment to improving the San 
Joaquin Valley can be matched only by his depth of commitment to those 
he loved.
  Born on April 21st, 1921 to Jesse Areias and Genevieve Silva Areias, 
John J. Areias was a first generation Portuguese-American from Volta, 
California. His family moved from Portugal's Azore Islands to 
California to begin a dairy, and to support a family. John's father put 
$10 down on 640 acres of land in western Merced County, where John 
spent much of his youth learning how to be a dairyman alongside his 
eight siblings. He was the valedictorian of Volta elementary, and moved 
on to graduate from Los Banos high school in 1940.
  John had an insatiable hunger for community involvement, which began 
with his high school's student government, and the Future Farmers of 
America. His leadership position in the FFA granted him many 
opportunities early on, one of which called on him to present cattle at 
the California State Fair. This is also where he would meet the love of 
his life, Mary, whom he married shortly thereafter. John and his 
brother Jesse then moved on to begin their own dairy, which quickly 
became the first grade A dairy in the Los Banos Dairymen's Association. 
Eventually their dairy became one of the biggest and most successful in 
California, but they never lost sight of the role family should play in 
their business. John's children played the same part that he did when 
he was younger, lending a hand in day to day dairy operations to 
support the family business.
  John was also very politically connected with Central California 
Democratic circles. He served as Chairman of the Merced County 
Democratic Central Committee and had been a delegate to the Democratic 
National Convention in 1960, where John F. Kennedy earned the 
nomination of his party as candidate for President of the United 
States. John was also a devout Catholic, serving as the Grand Knight 
for the Knights of Columbus.
  John is survived by his four children, Marcia, Lucia, Kathleen, and 
Rusty, all of whom left John immensely proud of their success. He is 
also succeeded by his five grandchildren, Eva, Nina, Bianca, Alexis, 
and Austin.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise to commemorate John Areias Sr.'s life for his 
outstanding character as an entrepreneur, public servant, family man, 
and friend. His life is a testament to the power of the American dream, 
and the joy that can accompany it. He was a powerful role model for the 
people of the Central Valley, and will be deeply missed by everyone 
that had the pleasure of knowing him. I join John's family in honoring 
his life, and love for our community.

                          ____________________