John J. Houlihan: A Lifetime of Giving

JOHN J. HOULIHAN: A LIFETIME OF GIVING

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I rise to pay tribute a great man, a compassionate public servant, a decorated war hero and a beloved husband, father and grandfather, John J. Houlihan, who died of lung cancer, Thursday, July 24, in his Palos Heights home surrounded by his loving family.

Born in 1923 on Chicago's South Side to the son of a slaughterhouse worker, John Houlihan graduated from Leo High School in 1941. Shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor in December of that year, John enlisted in the United States Marines. He was shipped to the South Pacific where he saw action in the Battle of Midway.

On his 21st birthday, during a battle on the South Pacific island of Bougainville, he was hit by enemy artillery fire and lost his left leg. John Houlihan was awarded a Purple Heart, the Marine Corps Medal and the Asian Pacific Medal with 3 Bronze Stars.

He spent the next year and a half in Veterans' Administration hospitals recuperating from his wounds and undergoing physical therapy. During that time, a friend persuaded him to attend a church dance in Chicago. It was at that dance that John met his future wife, Vernal. Together they would raise a wonderful family of eight children.

Even while bouncing on crutches, John taught his children how to swim, ride bikes and hit baseballs. He taught them music and the joys of being a Notre Dame football fan. As his daughter Maureen has said, John's children grew up learning the Notre Dame fight song and the Marine Corps hymn.

After leaving the military, John attended DePaul University, where he studied business and accounting, and began working in the Cook County Clerk's office. He later worked in the offices of State Treasurers Jerome Cosentino and Pat Quinn.

A loyal Democrat, John was elected to the Illinois General Assembly in 1965 and served 8 years in the State house, representing the 41st District in the Park Forest area. He was also elected as a delegate to several democratic national conventions. While in the legislature, John started insurance and accounting businesses.

Following his service in the General Assembly, John's attention turned to veterans' rights and veterans' services. He became the first director of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs when former Governor Dan Walker tapped him to head the fledgling agency. He developed programs for the Veterans' Administration in Washington under former President Jimmy Carter, and most recently was supervisor of the Cook County Veterans Assistance Commission. John spent decades fighting for veterans' rights, winning honors and accolades along the way, including the first-ever Cook County Veterans' Recognition Award in 2000.

Looking over this long list of accomplishments, I think anyone would come to the conclusion that this was a great public servant. But what those of us who knew John will tell you is that he was also a great human being.

Meet John Houlihan just once, the story goes, and he would greet you by name years later. If you were a veteran who needed help, John Houlihan was the man to see. It didn't matter if you were rich or poor, black or white, Democrat or Republican, John Houlihan's door—and his heart—were always open to you.

They say some people are naturals when it comes to politics and public service. Some people have the right temperament, the right personality and the right mix of talents to be a good leader. John certainly had all of those things. But in truth, John had something that distinguished him from the crowd—a passion to help others and to make sure they got a fair shake. A passion for life and a belief that giving of yourself in the service of others was the highest calling.

John Houlihan gave completely of himself on the battlefields in the South Pacific; in the legislative fights on the House floor in Springfield; in VA hospitals and service centers all across Illinois and the rest of the Nation; and every day to his wife and his children and his grandchildren.

Mother Teresa, the late Roman Catholic nun and missionary, once said: "We do no great things—we do only small things with great love." John Houlihan knew that. He showed us with his life. He will be greatly missed.