| 00:00:00 | OF BROWN COUNTY, COUNTY COMMISSIONER RICK EAGEN. |
| 00:00:06 | RICK'S PASSION FOR COMMUNITY SERVICE SPANNED HIS ENTIRE LIFE. |
| 00:00:11 | HE WAS A MEMBER OF THE RIPPLEY FIRE DEPARTMENT FOR ALMOST 30 YEARS. |
| 00:00:16 | HE SERVED 14 YEARS IN LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT. |
| 00:00:20 | HE WAS ALSO A FORMER COUNCILMEMBER AND VICE MAYOR OF RIPPLEY, OHIO. |
| 00:00:25 | BUT RICK DIDN'T STOP THERE. |
| 00:00:27 | HE WANTED TO DO MOMPLET -- MORE. |
| 00:00:32 | HE WANTED TO BE COUNTY COMMISSIONER BECAUSE HE FELT HE COULD LEAD THE COUNTY FORWARD. |
| 00:00:37 | AND SO HE RAN FOR COMMISSIONER AND LOST. |
| 00:00:41 | HE RAN AGAIN AND LOST. |
| 00:00:45 | THEY SAY THE THIRD TIME'S A CHARM, AND RICK DECIDED TO TEST THAT WATER AND SO IN 2010 HE THREW HIS HAT IN THE RING. |
| 00:00:55 | UNFORTUNATELY VERY EARLY ON HE WAS INVOLVED IN A VERY TRAGIC AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT. |
| 00:01:00 | ONE THAT NEARLY TOOK HIS LIFE. |
| 00:01:03 | IT TOOK HIS LEG. |
| 00:01:04 | IT TOOK HIS ABILITY TO BREATHE. |
| 00:01:05 | AND HE HAD A TRACHEOTOMY UNTIL A FEW WEEKS AGO. |
| 00:01:10 | HE WAS IN THE HOSPITAL FOR NEARLY A YEAR. |
| 00:01:14 | HE CAME OUT THAT AUGUST, CAMPAIGNED, AND MIRACULOUSLY WON THE ELECTION. |
| 00:01:21 | HIS DREAM CAME TRUE AND HE BEGAN TO SERVE HIS COMMUNITY IN ANOTHER WAY. |
| 00:01:28 | HE LOVED HIS COMMUNITY. |
| 00:01:30 | HE LOVED HIS COUNTRY. |
| 00:01:32 | AND HE LOVED HIS FAMILY. |
| 00:01:35 | HE FOUGHT EVERY DAY TO MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE. |
| 00:01:40 | AND A FEW WEEKS AGO THE DOCTORS BELIEVED THEY COULD CHANGE HIS CORRESPOND AND -- COURSE AND TAKE THE TRACH OUT AND ALLOW HIM TO BREATHE NORMALLY AGAIN AND THEY DID BUT COMPLICATIONS ENSUED AND WE LOST RICK THIS WEEK. |
| 00:01:58 | I AM SO SAD FOR OUR COMMUNITY TO HAVE LOST SUCH A DYNAMIC AND WONDERFUL INDIVIDUAL. |
| 00:02:08 | . PUBLIC SERVANTS LIKE RICK ARE HARD TO COME BY. |
| 00:02:11 | HIS WONDERFUL WIFE, MARGARET, AND HIS CHILDREN, DOUGLAS AND TIFFANY, WILL NO LONGER BE ABLE TO LIVE WITH THAT REMARKABLE MAN, NO LONGER BE ABLE TO LOVE HIM AND HUG HIM AND SO I ASK THIS BODY TO REMEMBER THOSE LIKE RICK WHO PUT THEIR LIVES BEFORE THEMSELVES, WORK HARD TO MAKE OUR COUNTRY A BETTER PLACE , TO LIVE, WORK AND RAISE A FAMILY. |
| 00:02:39 | AND I ASK THAT THE LORD ALLOW COMMISSIONER RICK TO BE IN HIS HANDS AND MAY MY DEAR FRIENDS AND MY COMMUNITY REST IN PEACE. |
| 00:02:49 | I YIELD BACK. |
| 00:02:51 | THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE: THE GENTLELADY YIELDS BACK. |
| 00:02:53 | THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES THE GENTLEMAN FROM ILLINOIS, MR. |
| 00:02:55 | QUIGLEY, FOR FIVE MINUTES. MR. |
| 00:02:56 | QUIGLEY: THANK YOU, MR. |
| 00:02:57 | SPEAKER. |
Mrs. SCHMIDT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor and in memory of a very dear friend of mine and a very dear friend of Brown County, County Commissioner Rick Eagan.
Rick's passion for community service spanned his entire life. He was a member of the Ripley Fire Department for almost 30 years. He served 14 years in local law enforcement. He was also a former council member and vice mayor of Ripley, Ohio.
But Rick didn't stop there. He wanted to do more. He wanted to be county commissioner because he felt he could lead the county forward. So he ran for commissioner and lost. He ran again and lost. They say the third time is the charm, and Rick decided to test that water. In 2010, he threw his hat in the ring. Unfortunately, very early on, he was involved in a very tragic automobile accident, one that nearly took his life. It took his leg; it took his ability to breathe, and he had a tracheotomy until a few weeks ago. He was in the hospital for nearly a year. He came out that August, campaigned, and miraculously won the election. His dream came true, and he began to serve his community in another way.
He loved his community; he loved his country, and he loved his family. He fought every day to make the world a better place. A few weeks ago, the doctors believed they could change his course and take the trach out and allow him to breathe normally again. And they did. But complications ensued, and we lost Rick this week.
[Time: 10:30] I am so sad for our community to have lost such a dynamic and wonderful individual. Public servants like Rick are hard to come by. But I'm even saddened more by the fact that his wonderful wife, Margaret, and his children, Douglas and Tiffany, will no [Page: H2455] longer be able to live with that remarkable man, no longer be able to love him and hug him.
So I ask this body to remember those like Rick Eagan who put their lives before themselves, work hard to make our country a better place to live, work, and raise a family. And I ask that the Lord allow Commissioner Rick Eagan to be in His hands, and may my dear friend and my community rest in peace.
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