TRIBUTES

Eugene Bravo

I will miss Teddy more than I can ever tell!

I first met him at an organizing meeting conducted by our AFL/CIO Local 770 to open the So. Cal effort to elect his brother Jack president. I must admit I was just a little disappointed as Bobby was supposed to be there and had been called away on more important business. I was just a teenager then working as a box boy and prone to be impressed by notoriety. Teddy, however, gave an impressive and rousing speech. Even though I would not be able to vote for another six years, I was inspired then to start a lifelong vocation of service as an active local Democratic Party organizer. After his speech the Local leaders gathered around him and introduced themselves, along with other party activists including John Van De Kamp. I was over in one corner with others of my age talking about what we could do to help the cause. All of sudden Teddy walked up behind us, and listened for a second; then introduced himself and asked each of us our names and age and succinctly suggested that the best thing we could do would be to register as many good Democrats as we possibly could. After that sage advice I went on to become the youngest voter registrar in L.A. County at that time and that spring registered over 400 new Democrats in the High Desert Area of the Northern corner of L.A. County.

I have gone out of my way to see him whenever I could. When I was working with the FBI in D.C. and when I was working with DEC in Mass.; he always made time in his busy life to share a brief moment for me. He always remembered me as that nerdy guy from So. Cal.; he always encouraged me to be better than I thought I could. And he always had a funny story and the best laugh I ever knew! I will always remember him and the service he gave freely to our country. His life has touched us all!