[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 055 (Monday, April 7, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E691]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    TRIBUTE TO CLARA BROSSELL CROOK

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. TOM LANTOS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, April 7, 2003

  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, it is with a heavy heart that I ask my 
colleagues to join me in paying tribute to an extraordinary activist, 
volunteer and educator, Clara Brossell Crook, who recently passed away 
one week before her 93rd birthday.
  Born in Canada in 1910, Clara immigrated to Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 
1912, and was educated at the University of Wisconsin, Lawrence 
University, Marquette University, and the University of New Hampshire. 
As the single parent of two young children during World War II, she 
began a varied and amazing career that included being the Director of 
Personnel of St. Luke's Hospital, the Associate Director of the 
National Conference of Christians and Jews, and the Vice Dean of the 
Business School at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
  During her 32 years as a resident of Burlingame, California, located 
in my congressional district, Ms. Crook was the founder of the 
Burlingame Senior Commission, the Emeritus Forum, and the Slippy 
Hippies support group. She was chair of the San Mateo County Commission 
on Aging, the College of San Mateo Emeritus Institute, the Burlingame 
Civil Service Commission, the Burlingame Senior Citizens Coordinating 
Council, chair of the Teamwork Ensuring Elder Support, and co-chair of 
the San Mateo County Alliance of Service Providers. Clara was also the 
gracious host of the KCSM-FM radio program ``Senior Talk'' and the KSOL 
weekly radio talk show host of TV program ``Senior Focus''. In addition 
to all of this, she was also a member of the Stanford Geriatric 
Advisory Committee and the San Mateo County Self-Esteem Task Force.
  Mr. Speaker, Clara was a resounding voice and advocate for the senior 
citizens of our community and country, urging and supporting 
independence, self-sufficiency, and dignity for seniors. Her boundless 
energy for these projects, and for life itself, made her a pillar in 
our community. Her diligence and astounding capacity to achieve her 
goals resulted in her receiving numerous accolades including: 
Burlingame Citizen of the Year, California State Legislature's Woman of 
the Year, and the Lion's Club-Burlingame Citizen of the Year. 
Additionally, the litany of her achievements includes being the first 
recipient of the College of Notre Dame's Human Services Award, the 
Shinnyo-En USA Citizen of the Year, being selected as Woman of the Year 
in the 20th Assembly District, being recognized by the California State 
Senate, and commended by President Clinton. She has also been listed in 
Who's Who in American Women, Who's Who in Public Relations, 2000 Women 
of Achievement, and Worlds Who's Who of Women. Finally, in recognition 
of all these accomplishments, Clara Brossell Crook was recently 
inducted into the San Mateo County Women's Hall of Fame.
  Mr. Speaker, it is without exaggeration when I say Clara was an 
exceptional influence on our district. Her amazing energy and 
extraordinary intellect was a source of inspiration for all and 
definitely provided us with a better understanding of the needs of our 
elderly, an area far too often neglected in our national zeitgeist. Her 
passing has taken away one of San Mateo's favored daughters and her 
contributions to the betterment of our local and national community 
will certainly be missed.
  Clara is survived by her daughter Victoria B. Zenoff of Richmond, 
California, her son David B. Zenoff and his wife Janet N. Hunter of San 
Francisco, her grandchildren Andrew Zenoff, Fay Zenoff Ginzburg and 
Alexandria Hunter Zenoff, and her sister Goldye Mullen of San 
Francisco. Mr. Speaker, my wife Annette and I are deeply grieved by 
Clara's passing and I urge all of my colleagues to join us in offering 
our most sincere condolences to her family.

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