[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 146 (Wednesday, October 14, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S12571-S12572]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            ROBERT F. DEASY

 Mr. DODD. Mr. President, communities are not defined by 
physical borders. They are defined by people--people who are concerned 
for the well-being of their neighbors, even if they do not know them. 
People who want to make their town a good place to raise children. 
People who recognize the importance of being a part of something larger 
than themselves. Today, I want to speak about one such person who has 
worked tirelessly to make Rocky Hill, Connecticut a true community: 
Robert Deasy.
  Bob Deasy worked for more than forty years as an accountant with 
Travelers and Phoenix Fire Insurance before retiring more than twenty 
years ago. Throughout his life, Bob has been remarkably active in the 
Rocky Hill community.
  From 1973 to 1985, he served as Rocky Hill's registrar of voters, 
where he worked closely with the Secretary of State's office. He has 
also been a member of American Legion Post 123 in Rocky Hill for more 
than 30 years, and he served for eight years as the Post's commander. 
Through the American Legion, he reached out to young people in the area 
by coordinating their Boys State and Girls State activities, which 
provide young people with an opportunity to see how their government

[[Page S12572]]

works. He also organized Rocky Hill's Memorial Day parade on many 
occasions, which earned him a citation from the city for exemplary 
service.
  In 1990, he was recognized for his outstanding service to the 
community by the Wethersfield/Rocky Hill Elk's Club when they named him 
their ``Citizen of the Year.''
  Bob also sat on the finance council at St. James Church for ten 
years, where he helped to strengthen this important house of worship.
  But even greater than his commitment to his church and his community 
is his devotion to his family. Bob has been a devoted husband to his 
wife Mildred and together they have raised three children, and they 
enjoy the company of five grandchildren.
  Bob also possesses a passion for politics. He has been active in 
local Democratic politics for years, and I consider myself fortunate to 
have had the opportunity to work with him and to become his friend. I 
am particularly thankful to Bob for encouraging his granddaughter Adria 
to become involved in public service. For the past four years she has 
worked in my Washington office. It has been a pleasure working with 
her, and she has only enhanced my already high opinion of the Deasy 
family.
  This Friday, the Rocky Hill Democratic Town Committee will bestow 
upon Bob their Chairman's Award in gratitude for their work for the 
party. This award is well deserved, and I congratulate Bob on this 
honor.
  But, as I stated earlier, Bob Deasy's devotion was not to a political 
party, it was to a community. And thanks to Bob and people like him, 
Rocky Hill, Connecticut remains a tightly knit community with its own 
identity. It is a place with a strong sense of history that people are 
proud to call home. I thank Bob for all that he has done for the people 
of Connecticut, and I wish him all the best in his future 
endeavors.

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