[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 96 (Wednesday, July 9, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1382]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                  IN MEMORY OF ROBERT E. COURTNEY, JR.

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. SAM GEJDENSON

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 9, 1997

  Mr. GEJDENSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to note with great sorrow 
the passing of Robert E. Courtney, Jr., a great friend of Connecticut 
and all her citizens.
  For decades Mr. Courtney worked as an attorney in Connecticut. 
Working in the insurance liability field, he was so well respected by 
his colleagues that he was named a member of the American College of 
Trial Lawyers.
  Previously, Mr. Courtney worked as an attorney for the Federal Bureau 
of Investigation. This was during the Second World War. Living in New 
York at this time, he met his first wife, Dorothy Kane Courtney. They 
moved to Connecticut, and spent 40 years together raising their 
children through good times and bad. In 1976, they tragically lost 
their son Philip to an illness. After Mr. Courtney suffered the sad 
passing of his first wife, he was blessed to marry his second wife, 
Dorothy Scanlon Courtney, with whom he happily spent his last 10 years. 
Of course, we were all saddened last winter when Dorothy Scanlon 
Courtney suddenly passed away.
  Mr. Courtney was fond of golfing, and he derived great satisfaction 
and joy from being on the links of his country club in West Hartford. 
It is also well-known that Mr. Courtney bestowed great threads of legal 
wisdom on many members of his profession. He was greatly respected in 
legal circles for his advice and counsel, generously giving his time to 
attorneys young and old who sought his help.
  If a man's success could be measured by the children he raised, then 
Mr. Courtney must truly be recognized as a giant among men. I have had 
the pleasure of knowing four of his sons, and they are all successful, 
community oriented men, three of whom chose to follow their father's 
footsteps and serve at the bar. In particular, I have had the great 
pleasure of knowing Joe, a nationally known and respected former State 
legislator who began his career as an intern in my office when I was a 
State legislator. It has been my honor to call him a good friend.
  His sons blessed him with eight grandchildren, and they brought 
tremendous joy to him over the years.
  Yesterday, Mr. Courtney was laid to rest near his home in 
Connecticut. He will be missed by his family, his friends, his 
colleagues, and a grateful State.

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