10623 Hon. Benjamin A. Gilman Hon. Marion
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June 13, 2000 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS 10623 IN MEMORY OF JOSHUA MYRON TRIBUTE TO RICHARD SIMMONS well. They are outstanding examples of the type of people who make Bergen County such HON. MARION BERRY a wonderful place to live, work, and raise a HON. BENJAMIN A. GILMAN OF ARKANSAS family. Ray and Betty Wells have been active sup- OF NEW YORK IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES porters of the Hermitage since they chaired IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Tuesday, June 13, 2000 the Hunt Breakfast fund-raiser in 1979. Betty has served as a trustee of the Friends of the Tuesday, June 13, 2000 Mr. BERRY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a man who is a dear friend of Hermitage, as a docent and on a number of Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, it is with deep mine, Richard Simmons, on the occasion of related committees. Ray has been a member sorrow that I rise to inform my colleagues of his retirement from elected service to the con- of the Heritage Community Advisory Board the recent passing of a remarkable individual stituents of State House District 84. and was the architect of the Hermitage Edu- in my 20th Congressional District of New York Richard Simmons has served the State of cation and Conference Center completed last who devoted his life to his work, family, and Arkansas and his country all of his life. He year. the Jewish community. graduated from Rector, Arkansas High School Built in 1740 in what is now Ho-Ho-Kus, NJ, the Hermitage was the home of Theodosia Joshua Myron was born in Rishon le Zion, in 1959 and later Mississippi State University with a degree in agriculture. In addition to Prevost, who invited George Washington and Israel in 1897. He attended the Talmud Torah, his officers to stay at the estate in July 1778, where he received his Jewish education. Upon Richard’s schooling, he served six years in the Air Force Reserves. He is a lifelong resident after the Battle of Monmouth. One of Wash- graduation, he moved to Jerusalem to enter ington’s officers, Aaron Burr, became a fre- the Secular Lemel School and the famous of Clay County and has been active in farming since 1965. quent visitor afterward and eventually pro- David Yellin Hebrew Institute, the best secular posed marriage to the widow. Guests at the school for higher education. Through his years in Arkansas, Richard has been active in state, civic, and community life July 2, 1782, wedding included future Presi- In 1916, Joshua volunteered as a member and has always worked to represent agri- dent James Monroe, Alexander Hamilton, the of the first Jewish Brigade in the British Army culture, the greatest profession ever. He has Marquis de Lafayette, and New Jersey Gov- to chase out the Turkish Army from Palestine. served on the Clay County Conservation Dis- ernor William Paterson. The Hermitage estate was purchased in He persevered to become company sergeant trict Board for twenty years. He is currently 1807 by Dr. Elijah Rosencrantz, one of Bergen in charge of transport. After his army service, Vice Chairman of that agency. Richard has County’s first physicians and an industrialist he helped to get arms for the Jewish under- also served on the Democratic Central Com- who built a cotton mill on the banks of the ground group so that they could effectively mittee for twenty years and has been the fight the Arabs at that time. Hohokus Brook. Rosencrantz’s son, Elijah Chairman of the Democratic Central Com- Rosencrantz, Jr., enlarged and improved the Upon his honorable discharge from the mittee for ten years now. original house, resulting in the Gothic Revival Army he moved to the United States to further Richard has been the State Representative mansion we see today. The home remained in advance his education. He entered the Albany from District 84 since 1995 and is unfortu- the Rosencrantz family until 1970, when it was College of Pharmacy and graduated with a nately ending his elected career due to term- bequeathed to the State of New Jersey by pharmaceutical chemist degree. He stayed in limits. He has helped make strides in agri- Mary Elizabeth Rosencrantz upon her death. pharmacy until his retirement in 1967. culture and economic development all across Today, the estate has been restored as a mu- He met his wife, Sybil, in New York City. Arkansas by serving on the Rules Committee, seum by the nonprofit Friends of the Hermit- Together, they had one daughter, Naomi, who House Revenue and Taxation Committee, age and is a National Historic Landmark. has presented Joshua and his wife with three Game and Fish Funding Sub-Committee, and Through the Education and Conference Cen- grandchildren and four great grandchildren. Al- Chairman of the House Agriculture and Eco- ter designed by Ray Wells, the Hermitage pro- though Sybil passed away many years ago, nomic Development Committee. Richard is vides extensive educational services for the he never remarried. He resided in Suffern, NY, also the Chairman of the First District House public and through area schools. since 1938. Caucus. In addition to their commendable dedication Richard Simmons resides in Rector, Arkan- to the Hermitage, Ray and Betty have been Joshua became an active member of The sas, where he grew up. He has devoted his leaders in a wide variety of community activi- Congregation Sons of Israel 45 years ago. He life to agriculture and Arkansas and the world ties. Betty has served as an elder, deacon, held the job of Gabai, a Member of the Reli- is a better place becasue of his service. I am choir member, Sunday School teacher and gious Committee Board of Trustees, a Mem- proud to call him my friend and I wish him the president of the Women’s Guild at the Old ber of the Chevra Kidisha (Burial Society) and best of luck in the future and many more Paramus Reformed Church. Ray has served received a testimonial award from Israel years of happiness and service to this great as a Sunday School teacher, departmental su- Bonds in 1985. He was a member for a long country of ours. perintendent and member of various building time in AIPAC, a congregational UJA chair- f committees during their 46 years of member- man for 25 years, and a contributing member ship in the church. to many Jewish Organizations especially those CONGRATULATING RAY AND Betty has served as president of the which help out in the cause of Israel. BETTY WELLS Paramus Junior Woman’s Club, the Paramus He was buried in Suffern, New York on Garden Club, the Stony Lane School Parent- June 11, 2000 by the Congregation Sons of HON. MARGE ROUKEMA Teacher Organization and in several leader- Israel. OF NEW JERSEY ship roles with the Paramus Girl Scouts. Ray Joshua is survived by his daughter: Naomi IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES has been active with Rotary International, Scheuer. He is also survived by three grand- Tuesday, June 13, 2000 serving as president of the Paramus club. He has also been a member of the Paramus children, Marcus Lubin, Eve Lubin, and Abigail Mrs. ROUKEMA. Mr. Speaker, I rise to con- Scheuer and four great grandchildren, Caro- Board of Education, served as president of the gratulate Ray and Betty Wells on their long Paramus Jaycees, a member of the Paramus line, Emily, Alexander Lubin and Ella Atema. record of contributions to community service Chamber of Commerce, with the Bergen While no words can ease the grief that his and historic preservation in northern New Jer- County museum and as a member of the family and community must be experiencing, sey. The Wells will be recognized this week- Oradell Planning Board. the deep sense of loss many of us are experi- end as the honorees of the annual Rose Ball Betty and Ray are the parents of 6 children, encing at the passing of this remarkable indi- at the Hermitage, a priceless historic site they have 18 grandchildren and 1 great grandchild. vidual hopefully will provide some consolation. have been instrumental in helping preserve They made their home in Oradell. Mr. Speaker, I invite our colleagues to join and restore. This honor has been prompted Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues in the in extending our deepest sympathies to all of not only by Ray and Betty’s activities on be- House of Representatives to join me in con- Joshua Myron’s many loved ones, and the nu- half of the Hermitage, but by their roles as gratulating this wonderful couple for all they merous individuals who were inspired and in- leading members of our community through have done for their community and for the out- fluenced by this outstanding human being. their church and many civic organizations as standing example they set for all. VerDate Aug 04 2004 13:46 Oct 15, 2004 Jkt 079102 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 0689 Sfmt 9920 E:\BR00\E13JN0.000 E13JN0.