1999
SENATE JOINT MEMORIAL 99-002
BY SENATORS Anderson, Blickensderfer, Chlouber, Congrove, Dennis, Dyer, Epps, Feeley, Hernandez, Lacy, Lamborn, Linkhart, Martinez, Matsunaka, Musgrave, Nichol, Owen, Pascoe, Perlmutter, Powers, Reeves, Rupert, Sullivant, Tanner, Tebedo, Thiebaut, Wattenberg, Wham, Andrews, Arnold, Evans, Hillman, Phillips, Teck, and Weddig;
also REPRESENTATIVES George, Tool, Alexander, Allen,
Bacon, Berry, Chavez, Clarke, Dean, Gordon, Gotlieb, Grossman,
Hagedorn, Hefley, Johnson, Kaufman, Keller, Lawrence, Leyba, Mace,
May, McElhany, McPherson, Miller, Morrison, Paschall, Pfiffner,
Saliman, Sinclair, Smith, Spradley, Swenson, Takis, Tate, Taylor,
Tupa, Veiga, S. Williams, T. Williams, Witwer, Young, and Zimmerman.
MEMORIALIZING SENATOR AND FORMER REPRESENTATIVE ANTHONY
S. "TONY" GRAMPSAS.
WHEREAS, By the Will of Divine Providence, our beloved
member, the Honorable Anthony S. "Tony" Grampsas, departed
this life on February 8, 1999, at the age of 62; and
WHEREAS, Senator Grampsas was born on October 4,
1936, in Kansas City, Missouri, the son of Greek immigrant parents;
and
WHEREAS, Senator Grampsas lost both his parents by
age 14 and was raised by his 3 sisters in modest circumstances;
and
WHEREAS, Senator Grampsas graduated from Kansas City
Central High School, studied business at Central Missouri State
College, and served his country in the United States army; and
WHEREAS, After his army service, Senator Grampsas
married the woman he described as the love of his life, his wife
Sandy, moved to Colorado, and started a family; and
WHEREAS, Senator Grampsas and his wife Sandy had
2 children, Lisa and Samuel Grampsas; and
WHEREAS, Senator Grampsas began employment with the
Coors Brewing Company in 1973 and remained an employee of that
company for the next 26 years, ultimately becoming director of
national affairs, a position he held for most of those years;
and
WHEREAS, Senator Grampsas was elected to the Colorado
House of Representatives in 1984, representing house district
number 25 in Jefferson County; and
WHEREAS, Senator Grampsas continued to represent
that house district through 7 consecutive terms; and
WHEREAS, While serving as a member of the House of
Representatives, Senator Grampsas served on many committees, including
the Agriculture Committee; the Health, Environment, Welfare, and
Institutions Committee, the House Services Committee, the Transportation
Committee, the Business Affairs and Labor Committee, the Appropriations
Committee, and the Joint Budget Committee; and
WHEREAS, In recognition of his natural and proven
leadership abilities, Senator Grampsas, among other accomplishments,
for the years 1991 through 1998, served as chair of the House
Appropriations Committee, during those same years, alternated
as either chair or vicechair of the Joint Budget Committee,
and, for the years 1993 through 1998, served as Speaker Pro Tempore
of the House; and
WHEREAS, In November, 1998, Senator Grampsas was
elected to the Colorado Senate, representing Senate district number
13 in Boulder, Clear Creek, Gilpin, Jefferson, and Summit counties;
and
WHEREAS, As a freshman senator, Senator Grampsas
served as chair of the Senate Finance Committee and also served
as a member of the Senate Appropriations and Business Affairs
and Labor Committees; and
WHEREAS, While serving as a member of the General
Assembly, Senator Grampsas served, among other assignments, as
chair of the State Medical Assistance Reform Advisory Committee
in 1995, vicechair of the Juvenile Offenders Committee in
198788, and as a member of the Federal Budget Task Force
and LongRange Planning for State Government Committee in
1990, the Education Task Force in 1991, the Statewide Medicaid
System Committee in 1996, and the Children's Information Management
Committee in 1998; and
WHEREAS, Senator Grampsas was beloved by members
of both houses of the General Assembly, legislative staff, and
Colorado citizens for his fundamental sense of fairness, his common
sense, his sense of humor, his willingness to help others in pursuits
both large and small, his ability to connect with so many different
people on so many different levels, his enthusiasm for life, and
his love of the General Assembly, the state of Colorado, and its
people; and
WHEREAS, Senator Grampsas was a model of governmental
integrity, who consistently demonstrated the courage to put the
interests of his district before any narrow parochial interest
and the interests of the entire state, if necessary, before those
of his district; and
WHEREAS, Senator Grampsas' vision as a public servant
and member of the General Assembly was vast and enduring and included:
Strengthening Colorado's higher and K12 education systems
to ensure that all of the people of this state are among the nation's
besteducated; offering young people a meaningful alternative
to crime; maintaining the University of Colorado Health Sciences
Center as a national resource for medical research and advancement,
particularly in fighting cancer; promoting methods of protecting
our state's natural beauty while minimizing the regulatory burden
on those able to create jobs; developing efficient and economical
ways to transport Coloradans across the state; and keeping the
state budget balanced and the state tax burden as low as possible
in order that Colorado could continue to serve as an engine for
economic growth and opportunity; and
WHEREAS, It is a tribute to Senator Grampsas' skills
as a legislator that Colorado made significant progress in all
of these areas while Senator Grampsas served as a member in, and
leader of, the General Assembly; and
WHEREAS, Senator Grampsas' sense of duty and determination
was particularly manifested by his return to service on the Joint
Budget Committee in January 1996, a mere 10 days after undergoing
surgery, and his presence during the first 23 days of the 1999
legislative session despite his painful medical condition; and
WHEREAS, Despite being one of the most powerful individuals
in Colorado state government for the better part of 2 decades,
Senator Grampsas never forgot his roots and never lost his faith
in public service as a way to make the promise of America real
for all of its citizens; and
WHEREAS, It is fitting that we, the members of the
Senate and House of Representatives of the Sixtysecond General
Assembly, pay tribute to the dedicated service of Senator and
former Representative Anthony S. "Tony" Grampsas and
express our deep regret and sorrow occasioned by his death; now,
therefore,
Be It Resolved by the Senate of the Sixtysecond
General Assembly of the State of Colorado, the House of Representatives
concurring herein:
That, in the death of Anthony S. "Tony"
Grampsas, the people of the state of Colorado have lost a dedicated
public servant and outstanding citizen, and that we, the members
of the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Sixtysecond
General Assembly, do hereby extend our deep and heartfelt sympathy
to the members of his family and pay tribute to a man who served
his state well and faithfully; and
Be It Further Resolved,
That copies of this Memorial be sent to Senator Grampsas' wife
Sandy Grampsas, daughter Lisa Grampsas, and son Samuel Grampsas.
_________________________ _________________________
Ray Powers Russell George
PRESIDENT OF SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE
THE SENATE OF REPRESENTATIVES
_________________________ _________________________
Patricia K. Dicks Judith M. Rodrigue
SECRETARY OF CHIEF CLERK OF THE HOUSE
THE SENATE OF REPRESENTATIVES