WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (Kan.) today spoke on the Senate floor to pay tribute to the life of Gary Doane – Downs native, member of the Kansas Farm Bureau and former Chair of the Board of Directors for the Kansas Agricultural and Rural Leadership (KARL) Program.
“Gary touched the lives of all who knew him, and he left the world – and our state – a better place,” said Sen. Moran. “I know I speak for many others when I say we will all miss his wisdom and his kindness. Gary did what we all hope to do. He lived a life with purpose, and he loved to invest in the next generation of Kansans. He often spoke of how he wanted to help raise new leaders to preserve the same opportunities he enjoyed living and raising his family in north central Kansas. We all look for examples, and Gary’s life is an example of the difference one person can make. I know his legacy will live on in the community and in the state he loved.”
Sen. Moran’s Remarks as Delivered:
“Madam President, I rise today to honor the life and mourn the passing of a Kansan who I was privileged to know well – Gary Doane.
“Gary touched the lives of all who knew him, and he left the world – and our state – a better place. I know I speak for many others when I say we will all miss his wisdom and his kindness.
“In Kansas, we know the value of community, and we rely upon our neighbors in times of need. Gary took these traits to heart, and his friends and neighbors always knew he would be there to lend a helping hand.
“He was raised on a farm not far from my hometown, northwest of Downs. Gary knew the value of faith, hard work and service, and he practiced every day what he believed. He and his wife Glennys enjoyed 45 years of marriage, and they raised their three children on the farm just miles from his own childhood home.
“Gary was an active member of his community and a dedicated advocate for causes he believed in. He served at county and state levels of the Kansas Farm Bureau – including eight years on the state board of directors. He also served as the chair of the board of directors of the Kansas Agricultural and Rural Leadership Program – what we know in Kansas as KARL.
“Gary instilled a passion for service throughout his life in every circumstance. In 2001, we had the pleasure of having his daughter Amy work on our staff when I was a congressman representing “The Big First” in the House of Representatives.
“Gary did what we all hope to do. He lived a life with purpose, and he loved to invest in the next generation of Kansans. He often spoke of how he wanted to help raise new leaders to preserve the same opportunities he enjoyed living and raising his family in north central Kansas.
“We all look for examples, and Gary’s life is an example of the difference one person can make. I know his legacy will live on in the community and in the state he loved.
“Robba’s and my prayers are with his wife Glennys and his three children, Amy, Vic and Edie, and the entire Downs community.”
