[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 146 (Wednesday, October 14, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S12573-S12574]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            GRACE M. AMODEO

 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 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: 
Grace M. Amodeo.
  Born in Italy, Grace Amodeo has lived in Rocky Hill for 44 years. 
Grace is a political pioneer in this town. In 1971, she ran for Mayor 
of Rocky Hill and earned the nomination of the Democratic party, the 
first woman to ever do so. Although she didn't win, she did not let 
that set-back deter her from actively serving her community throughout 
her life.
  Grace Amodeo was a member of the Board of Education for eight years, 
and she served as the secretary for four years. A woman of strong 
faith, she was a Eucharistic Minister at St.

[[Page S12574]]

James Church. And Rocky Hill has known no stronger advocate on behalf 
of seniors. Grace was a long-time member of Rocky Hill Seniors and 
served as their President from 1978 to 1980. She also served on the 
fundraising committee for the Senior Center. In fact, she was named 
Rocky Hill's ``Senior of the Year'' in 1983.
  Grace's contributions to the community are all the more remarkable 
when you consider that she and her late husband Tony also raised eight 
children.
  In addition to possessing a commitment to her community, she had a 
passion for politics, as evidenced by her run for mayor. Grace has been 
active in local Democratic politics for years, and I consider myself 
fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with her. This Friday, 
the Rocky Hill Democratic Town Committee will bestow upon Grace their 
Chairman's Award in gratitude for her work for the party. This award is 
well deserved, and I congratulate Grace on this honor.
  But, as I stated earlier, Grace Amodeo's devotion was not to a 
political party, it was to a community. And thanks to Grace and people 
like her, 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 Grace for all that she has done 
for the people of Connecticut, and I wish her all the best in her 
future endeavors.

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