House Passes Bill To Rename Arlington Post Office After Letter Carrier

ARLINGTON, VA — The U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation on Monday introduced by Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA) to rename a post office in Arlington after local letter carrier Jesus Collazos.

The bill passed without objection on a voice vote. Collazos immigrated to Northern Virginia from Colombia in 1978 and worked for 25 years as a U.S. Postal Service carrier in Arlington. He died of COVID-19 early in the pandemic.

The bill, H.R. 7082, must win Senate passage before it can be enacted. The post office, located at 2200 N. George Mason Drive, is currently designated as “Arlington Post Office.”

Collazos began his career with the postal service working at the post office on N. George Mason Drive. If the bill passes the Senate, the post office would be renamed the Jesus Antonio Collazos Post Office Building.

During his career, Collazos "fell in love" with the neighborhood where he delivered mail that he waited patiently for the right opportunity to buy his own family home there, Beyer said in remarks delivered from the House floor on Monday as Collazos’ family, including his wife Luz Miriam and their two children, looked on from the House Gallery.

"When the day came, his affable personality gave him an advantage over other buyers. So much so, that the seller accepted his offer despite it being the lowest of all the bids," Beyer said. "In 1999, Jesus and Luz moved their family from an apartment into a new single-family home on his mail route, becoming his own mailman."

Collazos retired from the USPS in February 2019, planning to spend more time with his grandchildren.

In early 2020, Collazos was diagnosed with B-cell lymphoma, an aggressive cancer. While being treated, he tested positive for COVID-19 and was intubated a week later, then suffered a stroke that put him in a coma. He died on June 6, 2020, at the age of 67.

"He will be remembered by his infectious personality, outstanding work ethic and loyalty to his loved ones," Beyer said.

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