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“HONORING THE MEMORY OF BENJAMIN GUPTA” mentioning the U.S. Dept of State was published in the in the Extensions of Remarks section section on page E2339 on Dec. 23, 2011.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
HONORING THE MEMORY OF BENJAMIN GUPTA
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HON. MIKE QUIGLEY
of illinois
in the house of representatives
Friday, December 23, 2011
Mr. QUIGLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask that all Members of the House of Representatives join me in honoring the memory of Benjamin Kane Gupta. Ben served the people of the Illinois Fifth District as a staff member for my predecessor Rahm Emanuel in 2007 before going on to work at the U.S. State Department's Global Partnership Initiative. Ben was pursuing Law and Business degrees as a George Washington University graduate student when he died in his sleep Monday. He was 28 years old.
Ben accomplished a lot in his short life. He grew up in Omaha, Nebraska, before attending the Phillips Exeter Academy and Boston University, graduating with degrees in economics and psychology. As a Staff Assistant for Congressman Emanuel he put in long hours staffing the Congressman, serving constituents, and doing whatever was necessary to get the job done. At the State Department, Ben helped bring together public and private resources to solve global economic, health and sustainability challenges.
But the greatest achievement Ben leaves behind is in the memories of those who knew him as a kind and generous spirit who had an incredible work ethic and an infectious sense of humor. When his beloved Red Sox made it to the World Series, he was relentless in his pursuit of tickets not just for himself but for his coworkers as well. He collected every episode of The Simpsons and never passed up a trip to Rockland's to get barbeque for the office.
I ask all my colleagues to join me in remembering this dedicated staffer who died too soon but made the most of the time he had. I offer my deepest condolences to his parents Vinod and Bonnie Gupta, his stepmother Laurel Gottesman Gupta, and his brothers Jess and Alex Gupta. Ben will always live on in the hearts and memories of those that knew him best.
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