Congratulating Ray Davila on His Retirement

Floor Speech

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Mr. CLOUD. Mr. Speaker, I would like to wish Reginaldo ``Ray'' Davila a very happy retirement after 73 years in the shoe repair business in Port Lavaca, Texas. Ray and his beloved wife, Tina, came to this Nation as a young couple in 1954 with $20 to their name and three children to support. After eventually settling in Port Lavaca, Ray opened a cobbler shop--a trade he learned from his father in Mexico as a teenager.

Though initially a small operation, the Davilas eventually saved up enough to purchase neighboring real estate on the block as an investment. This extra revenue allowed the shop to continue to operate as other cobblers went out of business. As time went on, Ray's cobbler shop evolved into a place for locals to stop by and get to know one another, becoming a hallmark of Port Lavaca.

After passing day-to-day operations along to his son, Ray is now fully retiring at the age of 96. I join the community of Port Lavaca in thanking him for his many years of dedicated service and wishing him a happy retirement.

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