Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, l rise today to pay tribute to Mr. Richard Nevins, who died on Saturday following a bodysurfing accident at St. Malo Beach in Oceanside, California.
Mr. Nevins was a life-long resident of Pasadena, in the Congressional District I am proud to represent. He was very well-known throughout Pasadena, and indeed California as a whole, as a political representative, civic activist, and supporter of the beautification and heritage of his community.
Dick served seven terms on the California State Board of Equalization--an impressive feat. During his terms on the Board he did much to instill a culture of service and professionalism. He was referred to as "..... an encyclopedia of tax policy'' by Lawrence de Graaf who took an oral history from Nevins shortly after his retirement. Professionally he was active in the State Association of County Assessors of California, International Association of Assessing Officers, National Association of Tax Administrators and American Society for Public Administration--Los Angeles Board of Directors. In addition to these professional organizations, Nevins was active in the Los Angeles Urban League, the NAACP (Pasadena Chapter), the World Affairs Council, Town Hall and the Commonwealth Club.
His political legacy also included service as a delegate to three national conventions, including the 1960 Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles, where he was an early supporter of presidential candidate John F. Kennedy. He continued to promote Democratic candidates for the rest of his life. After retiring from the State Board of Equalization in 1986 he served as President of the Boards of the Pasadena Historical Museum and Pasadena Beautiful. He was a familiar figure in his 1935 Ford pickup truck carrying around--gardening tools and planting trees. In fact, one week before his passing, California Governor Gray Davis approved $20,000 in the state budget on a project Dick had lobbied for-- landscaping at Pasadena schools. A fitting final contribution for his beloved home city.
Dick was known and loved by people throughout his community. His service as a political representative, his work on civic affairs in Pasadena, and his spirit of community involvement will undoubtedly be felt for years in our region.
Dick graduated from Arroyo Elementary School and Polytechnic School in Pasadena; from Midland School in Los Olivos; and from Yale University with a bachelor's degree in governmment in 1943. He was also a veteran who served our nation in the U.S. Army Air Force in World War II.
Dick is survived by his wife of 55 years, Mary Lois, by three sons, Richard Jr., William and Henry; and by five grandchildren.
I would like to convey to his family and his many many friends, my deepest sympathies. Dick Nevins will be missed by all who knew him.