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House Engrossed |
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State of Arizona House of Representatives Fifty-fourth Legislature First Regular Session 2019
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HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 2041 |
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A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
On the death of congressman ed pastoR.
(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
Edward "Ed" López Pastor, distinguished statesman and the first Hispanic member of Congress from Arizona, passed away on November 27, 2018 at the age of seventy-five.
Born to Enrique and Margarita Pastor, Ed Pastor grew up in the copper mining town of Claypool, Arizona. The first in his family to attend college, he received a scholarship to Arizona State University where he earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry. He taught high school and worked as deputy director of a community nonprofit group before earning his law degree from the Arizona State University College of Law. Following law school, he joined the staff of Arizona Governor Raúl Héctor Castro, where he worked on civil rights and equal opportunity issues.
With his election to the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors in 1976, Ed Pastor embarked on a remarkable record of public service. After three terms on the county board of supervisors, he was elected to Congress in 1991, where he became known as a trailblazer by all who had the privilege of working with him over the years. He ably served on the House committees on Agriculture, Education and Labor and Small Business, as well as the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. During his twenty-three years in Congress, he distinguished himself as an extremely diligent, principled and thoughtful public servant, and he earned the well-deserved respect and admiration of his peers on both sides of the political aisle.
An iconic leader and tireless advocate for the citizens of Arizona, Ed Pastor supported immigration and education reform and universal health care. His background in chemistry provided him extensive insights into the environmental challenges facing the nation, and he was dedicated to the conservation of the country's national parks and wetlands. As a member of the House of Representatives Appropriations Committee for most of his tenure, he championed local infrastructure projects, including those related to energy development, water access and mass transit. Notably, he helped secure funding for the research, development and construction of the Phoenix Metro Light Rail System. Outside of his committee duties, he served as chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and in 1999 earned a leadership position as chief deputy whip. Following his retirement from Congress in 2015, Congressman Pastor continued to serve the State of Arizona by spearheading the Pastor Center for Politics and Public Service at Arizona State University, which works to foster civic engagement by students. He leaves behind a tremendous legacy of devotion to public service.
Dedicated to his family, Ed Pastor is survived by his wife of fifty‑three years, Verma, their two daughters, Laura and Yvonne, and four grandchildren. He will be greatly missed by his family, his friends and the people of the State of Arizona.
Therefore
Be it resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of Arizona, the Senate concurring:
That the Members of the Legislature sincerely regret the passing of Congressman Ed Pastor and extend their deepest sympathies to his family and many friends.