House Resolution 72

(As Adopted by House)

A RESOLUTION MOURNING THE LOSS AND COMMEMORATING THE LIFE AND MANY ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF DR. ALFIO RAUSA, M.D., AND EXPRESSING DEEPEST SYMPATHY TO HIS FAMILY AND FRIENDS UPON HIS PASSING.

WHEREAS, it is written in Ecclesiastes 3:1 that "To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under the Heaven," and as such, on January 3, 2018, the immaculate author and finisher of our soul's destiny summoned the mortal presence of dearly beloved, Dr. Alfio Rausa, M.D., to eternal rest, rendering great sorrow and loss to his family, friends and community; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Rausa, the son of first-generation immigrants from Sicily, Italy, was raised in The Bronx, New York, and after graduating from Hunter College he returned to his roots and attended medical school in Italy, and once he received his medical degree, he married his fiancé Sylvanna, and purchased a one-way ticket to America and never went back; and

WHEREAS, he originally moved to Greenwood, Mississippi, as a Lieutenant Commander with the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, a position he held from 1966 until 1970, and his intention was to stay for only a year, but he decided to stay once he realized all the work that needed to be done in Mississippi; and

WHEREAS, from a young age, Dr. Rausa had a habit of serving others each and every day, and he devoted his life to helping humanity, and once he was introduced to the issues that the Mississippi Delta was facing, he was determined to make a substantial difference; and

WHEREAS, following his two years in the Delta, the Public Health Service sent him to one of the most prestigious public health schools in the country, Columbia School of Public Health, where the primary focus of education was the fundamental philosophies of life and public health and the management of those concepts; and

WHEREAS, in 1970, Dr. Rausa accepted a position as Regional Public Health Officer in Greenwood with the Mississippi State Department of Health, and in 1980 he was promoted to District Health Officer in charge of Public Health District III and later District I as well, and he held this position until he retired in 2017; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Rausa also served as the medical consultant for WIC and its breastfeeding peer counselor program, and he always encouraged the peer counselors and was always willing to speak with other physicians, the media, at hospitals or events; and

WHEREAS, a public health hero who worked valiantly for half a century to improve the health of Mississippians, Dr. Rausa leaves a legacy of dedication to countless public health and community efforts, and he founded many organizations and groups that tremendously benefit the state, such as Life Help and a youth soccer league, and he was also Chairman of the Fannie Lou Hamer Cancer Foundation and made many contributions to the Golden Age Nursing Home and many other projects and boards; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Rausa was an eccentric genius, a born leader, an intellectual giant and a creative social engineer, and his insight and compassion for people was boundless, and he was tremendously driven, accomplishing something new each day; and

WHEREAS, a bouncing ball of boundless energy, Dr. Rausa was an idea factory, but more than that, he was an inventor of the machinery that made his abstract ideas come to life, and his ability to attract and inspire others across all intellectual and social lines to the same vision and goal was one of his many unique gifts; and

WHEREAS, with an uncommon insight into the world, Dr. Rausa was passionate, eloquent and fearless, and he was a physician who had insight and a unique ability to formulate solutions to problems, was a man of honor and integrity, and gave his life to helping others and made an indelible impression on the lives of those he touched and he will forever be cherished; and

WHEREAS, it is the policy of the House of Representatives to recognize outstanding Mississippians, especially those such as Dr. Alfio Rausa, M.D., whose passion for helping others and dedication to his patients brings honor to his family, his community and to the State of Mississippi:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby mourn the loss and commemorate the life and many accomplishments of Dr. Alfio Rausa, M.D., and express deepest sympathy to his family and friends upon his passing.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be furnished to Dr. Alfio Rausa's family and to the members of the Capitol Press Corps.