| 1 | House Resolution |
| 2 | A resolution honoring the memory of former State |
| 3 | Representative Tom Lewis. |
| 4 |
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| 5 | WHEREAS, Tom Lewis was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, |
| 6 | on October 26, 1924, and served honorably in the United States |
| 7 | Air Force for 11 years as a Gunner on a B-25 bomber in World War |
| 8 | II and in Korea, and |
| 9 | WHEREAS, Tom Lewis completed his service in the Air Force |
| 10 | at Morrison Field, now known as the site of the Palm Beach |
| 11 | International Airport, and, having grown attached to the |
| 12 | community, Tom and his wife, Marian, decided to stay and raise |
| 13 | their family, which, at the time of his death, included three |
| 14 | children, seven grandchildren, and one great-grandchild, and |
| 15 | WHEREAS, Tom Lewis began working for Pratt & Whitney |
| 16 | Aircraft in North Palm Beach, rising to the position of Project |
| 17 | Manager of Pratt's jet and rocket engine testing program in his |
| 18 | 17 years with the company, and |
| 19 | WHEREAS, Tom Lewis, at the behest of his friends and |
| 20 | neighbors, began his 30-year political career as a councilman |
| 21 | and Mayor in the Village of North Palm Beach from 1964 through |
| 22 | 1972, and |
| 23 | WHEREAS, Tom Lewis won election to the District 83 seat in |
| 24 | the House of Representatives, a district he represented from |
| 25 | 1972 through 1980, and during his tenure served as the Chair of |
| 26 | the Palm Beach County Legislative Delegation in 1976 and 1979 |
| 27 | and served as Minority Whip from 1978 to 1980, and |
| 28 | WHEREAS, Tom Lewis won election to the District 27 seat of the |
| 29 | Senate, a seat he held from 1980 to 1982, during which time he |
| 30 | served on the Agriculture and Appropriations Committees, and |
| 31 | WHEREAS, Tom Lewis was elected to the United States |
| 32 | Congress in 1982 and immediately put his years of military, |
| 33 | private, and public-sector experience to work as a member of the |
| 34 | Science and Technology Committee and the Agriculture Committee, |
| 35 | where he represented Florida's farmers, growers, and cattlemen |
| 36 | with vigor and determination, and |
| 37 | WHEREAS, of the hundreds of legislative initiatives and |
| 38 | policy issues on which Tom Lewis worked so earnestly for the |
| 39 | people of Florida, he will be fondly remembered for several that |
| 40 | still affect the lives of Floridians, including leading the |
| 41 | successful effort to have the Department of Veterans' Affairs |
| 42 | construct and open a new, state-of-the-art medical center in |
| 43 | West Palm Beach in 1994, which currently serves the health care |
| 44 | needs of 70,000 veterans, and |
| 45 | WHEREAS, Tom Lewis, along with then-United States Senator |
| 46 | Lawton Chiles, passed legislation that added nearly 160,000 |
| 47 | acres to the Big Cypress National Preserve in Collier County, |
| 48 | and |
| 49 | WHEREAS, Florida's growers and cattlemen found a staunch |
| 50 | ally in Tom Lewis when he fought against President Clinton's |
| 51 | North American Free Trade Agreement until the President agreed |
| 52 | to certain protections for local agriculture, as well as helping |
| 53 | to break down the barriers to Florida's beef and citrus trade |
| 54 | with Japan, and |
| 55 | WHEREAS, Tom Lewis brought a USDA federal research lab to |
| 56 | St. Lucie County, which now provides more than 100 jobs and the |
| 57 | enhancement of educational opportunities throughout the Treasure |
| 58 | Coast, and |
| 59 | WHEREAS, Tom Lewis fought for funding for restoration of |
| 60 | Florida's most sensitive lands, including the Indian River |
| 61 | Lagoon, the Lake Worth Lagoon, and the Kissimmee River, and, |
| 62 | with the help of Senator Bob Graham, led the effort to oppose |
| 63 | drilling off Florida's coasts, and |
| 64 | WHEREAS, one of Tom Lewis' most important legislative |
| 65 | efforts will always be remembered by an appreciative state |
| 66 | during each hurricane season because of his long fight to ensure |
| 67 | that the Air Force Reserve continue to fly the WC-130 "Hurricane |
| 68 | Hunter" aircraft into tropical storms and hurricanes, gathering |
| 69 | crucial data for meteorologists who can more accurately predict |
| 70 | the path and severity of oncoming storms, NOW, THEREFORE, |
| 71 |
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| 72 | Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of |
| 73 | Florida: |
| 74 |
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| 75 | That the House of Representatives respectfully honors the |
| 76 | memory and legacy of Mayor, Florida State Representative, |
| 77 | Florida State Senator, and United States Congressman Tom Lewis, |
| 78 | a dedicated man of family first, a tireless advocate for his |
| 79 | constituents, a statesman, and a mentor and friend to many. |
| 80 | BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be |
| 81 | presented to the family of Tom Lewis as a tangible token of the |
| 82 | sentiments expressed herein. |