U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-6th District) speaks July 8 during an event at the International Wildlife Refuge in Trenton to remember her late husband, John Dingell Jr., and his work on what would have been his 100th birthday.
By SUE SUCHYTA
Sunday Times Newspapers
TRENTON – The late U.S. Rep. John Dingell Jr. and his work were remembered July 8 on what would have been his 100th birthday at the International Wildlife Refuge that he helped established.
The sunshine and the natural beauty of the refuge provided a welcome setting for the gathering, which featured speakers including his widow, U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-6th District); Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist; Wayne County Executive Warren Evans; Consul General for Canada in Detroit Colin Bird; and Brian Smith, acting deputy regional director for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Also speaking were his longtime friend Richard Whitwam, a member of the International Wildlife Refuge Alliance Board of Directors, and Nicole LaFleur of the Alliance.
John Dingell Jr., a Democrat, served Michigan in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1955 to 2015, and holds the record as the longest serving member of Congress. He was instrumental in passing legislation that protected air, water and endangered species.
Debbie Dingell said it was incredible to see everyone come together, celebrate and share stories about her late husband.
“We couldn’t be gathering in a more beautiful place to celebrate what would have been John’s 100th birthday,” she said. “And there couldn’t be a more meaningful place for us to be here because this was John’s dream.”
Richard Whitwam, personal friend to the late John Dingell Jr. and member of the International Wildlife Refuge Alliance Board of Directors, speaks July 8 during an event at the International Wildlife Refuge in Trenton to remember John Dingell Jr. and his work on what would have been his 100th birthday.
Dingell said the refuge wasn’t just land on a map or an accomplishment on another long list, but was a place close to his heart and soul.
“It reflected who he was and what he believed,” she said. “John believed that places like this matter, and he understood that preserving the outdoors was never just about land, water, birds or trees, but was about legacy.”
Dingell said his goal was to leave something better for those who came after him.
“It was about recognizing that we are not the owners of this Earth,” she said. “We are only here for a moment in time and we are the caretakers.”
Dingell said conservation was important to her late husband and he spent his life fighting for places like the International Wildlife Refuge.
“He understood that some things are too precious to lose,” she said. “But more than that, he understood some things even deeper: that nature is not a collection of scenery, that it’s a living system, and each species has a role to play in the balance of life, and when one disappears the whole fabric is altered in ways we may not immediately see.”
Gilchrist said it was incredible to celebrate Dingell’s life, legacy and impact.
“This is a place that is important to all of us that call Michigan home,” he said. “I think what this represents, perhaps more than anything, is what Congressman Dingell understood about the value of access to nature and to wildlife.”
Gilchrist said the foresight and the willingness to fight to make something like this happen and to have it be an open door to the experiences and understanding of the place we call home, and to make it available to all is the role that public servants must play.
“That is the purpose of partnership: to open doors, not to close them,” he said. “To make experiences possible, not cut people off from experiences, and Mr. Dingell represented that over his service and over his life perhaps more than almost anybody, and that’s the inspiration that I take from it.”
Guests gather at the International Wildlife Refuge in Trenton July 8 to remember John Dingell Jr. and his work on what would have been his 100th birthday.
Christine Smith of the International Wildlife Refuge in Trenton serves as master of ceremonies July 8 at the Refuge to remember John Dingell Jr. and his work on what would have been his 100th birthday.
Brian Smith, acting deputy regional director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service speaks July 8 during an event at the International Wildlife Refuge in Trenton to remember John Dingell Jr. and his work on what would have been his 100th birthday.
Colin Bird, Consul General of Canada to Detroit, speaks July 8 during an event at the International Wildlife Refuge in Trenton to remember John Dingell Jr. and his work on what would have been his 100th birthday.