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HONORING DAVID ROYBAL'S 80TH BIRTHDAY
______
HON. TERESA LEGER FERNANDEZ
of new mexico
in the house of representatives
Friday, September 17, 2021
Ms. LEGER FERNANDEZ. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor David Roybal's incredible contributions to our beloved New Mexico. His passion for life, for family, for the land, and for members of his community is everything that we cherish and stand for in our great state. David turns 80 years old today--still working the land and still giving back, as he has done his entire life.
David was born and raised in Chupadero, New Mexico, and comes from a family that believed and practiced service and selflessness. David's grandfather- served in the Army, David's father served in World War II, and David followed in their footsteps and served in Vietnam. David, his father, and his father before him all received the Purple Heart. David gathers Purple Heart veterans together still and is a leader among these wounded warriors.
While David served as a firefighter for 25 years, he worked with his neighbors in the acequias. He knows the profound significance that these irrigation systems bring to our agriculture, culture, economy, and heritage. In fact, David became Mayordomo in 1970. He worked and managed the lifeblood of our communities for 40 years. He worked because of his endless spirit to help others and improve the place he called home--never even expecting to be paid for his work.
David embodies community. With everything he does, he promotes love, respect, selflessness, tradition, and kindness. There is no more perfect example of this than David's leadership in managing the acequia that brings so much value to every single member of the beautiful valley they call home.
Happy Birthday, David. As I often say: agua es vida y acequia es comunidad. You are the life of our community. But it doesn't start and end with only water. Thank you for your lifelong commitment to breathing so many different kinds of life into our beloved communities.
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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 161
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