[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 15619-15620]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  HONORING THE LIFE OF FORMER TORRANCE MAYOR DELORES ``DEE'' HARDISON

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. TED LIEU

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, October 4, 2017

  Mr. TED LIEU of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise to celebrate the life 
of former mayor of the City of Torrance Delores ``Dee'' Hardison--a 
beloved wife, mother, and grandmother--who

[[Page 15620]]

passed away on September 30, 2017, at the age of 79.
  Born Delores Grinton on January 22, 1938, in Bellingham, Washington, 
Dee was one of nine children born to Walter and June Grinton. She 
graduated from Western Washington University in 1960, where she met her 
future husband, Lowell Hardison, who worked for Boeing. Dee later 
received a master's degree from California State University, Long 
Beach. She taught at Lincoln High School in Seattle and moved to Reno, 
Nevada with Lowell. Dee and Lowell moved to Torrance, near what is now 
Sur La Brea Park, in 1967.
  Dee began mobilizing the local community to persuade the city to 
build Sur La Brea Park. This successful campaign led to her service for 
almost a decade on the Parks and Recreation and Planning Commissions, 
while she also worked as a physical education teacher and later a 
special-education instructor for the Torrance Unified School District.
  She was then elected to the Torrance City Council in 1986 and became 
mayor in 1994. During her time as mayor, she was visible and accessible 
to her constituents. In the days immediately after 9/11, Dee was at Del 
Amo Fashion Center talking to community members and offering her 
support during that difficult time. She oversaw the expansion of the 
Civic Center library, establishment of the Madrona Marsh Nature 
Preserve and redevelopment of Old Torrance.
  Her outstanding public service extended to other community 
organizations. For more than 25 years, Dee was an active member of the 
Torrance Education Foundation and board chair for LINC Housing, a 
nonprofit group that builds housing for seniors and families throughout 
the state. She was the 2011 recipient of the Jared Sidney Torrance 
Award, which recognizes an individual's sustained service to the 
community and is considered Torrance's highest honor. She was also 
recognized as Torrance YMCA Woman of the Year, Switzer Center South Bay 
Woman of the Year, and a Cal State Dominguez Hills Distinguished 
Alumni.
  Dee is survived by her husband, Lowell, her two sons, Mark and Brad, 
and two grandchildren whom I hope take comfort in the way Dee lived her 
life serving Torrance, the city that she loved. Torrance loved her 
back. May her memory be a blessing to us all.

                          ____________________