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Pelosi Statement on Passing of Kevin Starr

January 16, 2017

Contact: Drew Hammill/Caroline Behringer, 202-226-7616

San Francisco – Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi released the following statement on the passing of former San Francisco City Librarian and California State Librarian emeritus Kevin Starr:

"Paul and I were deeply saddened by the news of Kevin Starr's passing. Kevin was an extraordinary man and a dear friend, whose brilliance and infectious love of literature, learning and California inspired everyone who knew him. Our state has lost one of its great treasures.

"When Kevin was City Librarian of San Francisco, it was my privilege to serve on the Library Commission as an appointee of Mayor Joseph Alioto. It was a great honor to work with Kevin as he set about strengthening our library system. Honoring the democratic ideals at the heart of the library, Kevin took the Commission's meetings into the neighborhoods we served.

"In his writings and his leadership, Kevin Starr enriched our understanding of California's history and personified the full promise of the California idea. Paul and I are honored to have called Kevin our dear friend for decades. Our thoughts and prayers are with his beloved wife Sheila, his daughters, Jessica and Marian, and the entire Starr family. May it be a comfort to them that so many share in their grief for this wonderful man."

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