Vicente Gonzalez: “Mr. Speaker, it is my extremely sad duty, and may I say it is an honor and a privilege, to offer a few words of praise…”

“Mr. Speaker, it is my extremely sad duty, and may I say it is an honor and a privilege, to offer a few words of praise and of course tribute to a friend and a dear colleague, Frank Tejeda, who died too soon, far short of the full realization and the promise of his potential. But though his life was shortened by a terrible and a very tragic disease, he left behind a legacy of great achievement, he made his life a model, and I think others will do well to emulate him. To all of those who knew and loved Frank, I offer my heartfelt condolences today. Words, of course, are never adequate to express the feeling of loss that we share. All we can do is say what we can and draw strength from Frank's memory and his achievements. Frank was only 51 years of age when he died, and this was some 17 months after having been diagnosed with a brain tumor. But he died as he lived, with grit and grace. Grit: Frank had it in great abundance. He dropped out of high school and became a first class marine. Courage: As a combat marine, he never flinched or failed. He was born a brave leader. He was decorated for his courage under fire. Determination: He worked hard enough and sacrificed enough to finish law school at both Harvard and Yale, two of the most distinguished law schools in the country, which I hardly think is bad for a high school dropout. Grace: He would do anything for a friend and never count the cost. Energy: He worked hard.”