Rick Allen: “I come from the other side of the country from Walter and Lois Capps, but Diana and I count as one of the blessings of…”

“I come from the other side of the country from Walter and Lois Capps, but Diana and I count as one of the blessings of this job the chance that we had to get to know both Walter and Lois. We will miss him. I am told that his class on the Vietnam war at the University of California Santa Barbara, taught annually, had the largest enrollment on campus and reached more students than any other course in the entire University of California system. Knowing Walter, I believe that. I understand that. He brought a decency, a compassion and honesty about this business to this House that was a credit to him and to the citizens of the 22d District of California. He cared deeply about education, that was his background. But he also, because he came at this time of life that he did, he was not caught up in all of our partisan battles. He really was here to do good, and he did it as long as he was here. I was talking to a member of my staff a moment ago. She said she met him once and he was a kind soul. She said it well. He was a good and kind and strong gentleman, and we will miss him.”