Jesus Antonio Collazos Post Office Building

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. BEYER. Madam Speaker, I thank chairwoman Maloney for all of her leadership.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to speak in support of my bill, H.R. 7082, which would designate the post office on 2200 North George Mason Drive in Arlington as the Jesus Antonio Collazos Post Office Building.

Jesus was the epitome of the American Dream.

He was born in 1953 in Colombia and grew up in a modest, hardworking family. Even at a young age, he was passionate about education and wanted to help his community and did so by helping teach literacy while still a high school student.

After graduating high school, Jesus attended the University of de San Buenaventura Cali to pursue a degree in accounting.

In 1978, Jesus immigrated to Washington, D.C., to reunite with his mother and sisters in the hopes of seeking a better future.

In 1980, Jesus married the love of his life, Luz Miriam, who is here today with their children, Vanessa and Michael.

After working in accounting positions at various hotels, he applied to work for the United States Postal Service as a letter carrier, where he would embark on a 25-year career.

He made an impression early on and was given a temporary assignment in leadership which turned into a permanent offer. He ultimately turned it down to remain a letter carrier.

This turned out to be the right decision, as Jesus preferred to spend his days outdoors, building relationships on his route, and connecting with the neighborhood. He fell in love with that neighborhood so much that he waited patiently for the right opportunity to buy his own family home there. When the day came, his affable personality gave him an advantage over other buyers. So much so that the seller accepted his offer despite it being the lowest of all bids.

In 1999, Jesus and Luz moved their family from an apartment to a new single-family home on his mail route becoming his own mailman.

Motivated by a desire to spend more time with his family and particularly his friends, he retired in February 2019.

At the start of the pandemic, he discovered a lump on the side of his neck that turned out to be an aggressive cancer. On Monday, May 4, 2020, during his first oncology appointment, he was sent to the emergency room for COVID. He spent the next two weeks in ICU and suffered a stroke. And on June 6, Jesus took his last breath.

He was one of millions of Americans taken from us by COVID-19, but Jesus was also a treasure to our local community. Jesus will be remembered for his infectious personality, outstanding work ethic, and loyalty to his loved ones.

After his death, the Collazos family immediately began to receive an outpouring of love via messages, calls, cards, and meals from countless family members and friends. An outdoor memorial service for Jesus was held on June 26, 2020, where many came together to honor his memory.

The SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE. The time of the gentleman has expired.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentleman.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. BEYER. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman.

As a testament to Jesus' impact, his U.S. Postal Service coworkers opened his outdoor memorial service with a mail truck parade.

We were lucky to have Jesus Collazos in our community. May his life be a reminder of the positive impact immigrants, new Americans, have on this country. Please join me, the Collazos family, and the Arlington community in honoring Jesus' memory by voting ``yes.''

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source