[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 33 (Thursday, March 17, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Page S2988]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        IN MEMORY OF JAY CUTLER

  Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I have sought recognition to inform the 
Senate of the passing of Jay Cutler on March 4, 2005. Jay was a dear 
friend to many in Washington, a loving husband, father, and grandfather 
to his family, and a true asset to Capitol Hill and the field of mental 
health policy. Both on the Hill and in his role as the lobbyist for the 
American Psychiatric Association, Jay worked diligently to educate 
people about mental health and to alleviate the stigma attached to 
mental illness. I had the pleasure of working closely with Jay on a 
number of issues affecting millions of Americans afflicted with these 
maladies.
  Most importantly, Jay had an overwhelming love for his family, 
especially his wife, children, and grandchild. They, along with me, the 
United States Senate and Washington, DC will miss Jay dearly because he 
was a true inspiration to us all. In memory of Jay Cutler, I ask 
unanimous consent that Rabbi Joseph B. Meszler's eulogy of Jay be 
printed in the Congressional Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                     Jay Cutler (Yosef ben Moishe)


 Rabbi Joseph B. Meszler, Washington Hebrew Congregation, March 7, 2005

       Sometimes, when people reach retirement, they experience 
     what people call a second childhood. They are able to be a 
     kid again and enjoy themselves. Jay Cutler, however, never 
     stopped knowing how to be a kid, how to enjoy life to the 
     utmost, and how to marvel at people and places and 
     situations. He was always a big, wonderful, loving man whose 
     warmth you felt almost instantly. Perhaps the pain at the 
     injustice of his sudden death is tempered by the fact that he 
     did not wait until his retirement to go out and enjoy life. 
     Jay Cutler was a good man who was a wonderful husband and 
     father, and the best grandfather. He was an extremely 
     generous man in every sense of the word. A Hebrew proverb 
     says, Neir Adonai nishmat adam; the light of God is a 
     person's soul. Jay's soul gave a great deal of light and 
     warmth.
       We are here in this unbelievable situation, to grieve for 
     the death of Jay, to try to accept the reality of this loss, 
     and to feel the pain of grief. His family and friends are 
     gathered because it feels like a huge light has gone out, and 
     we are groping in the dark. At the same time, Jay would 
     always find something light and even funny even in the 
     darkest situations. And in telling stories about Jay, we are 
     liable to laugh just as much as cry.
       Jay was born the only child to Murray and Shirley Cutler in 
     Brooklyn. He was not only the only child but also the first 
     grandchild, and so his grandparents closed down the street 
     and had a block party for him upon his arrival into this 
     world. It would foreshadow a great deal of Jay's spirit in 
     times to come.
       Jay loved his parents, and they loved him dearly. He 
     attended Tilden High School and then went to New York 
     University as a business major. In his neighborhood, 
     attending his same high school, was a young woman named 
     Randy. Randy was on the cheering squad, and her friend wanted 
     to set her up with this guy named Jay. ``You'll have a great 
     time,'' her friend assured her. ``He makes great seal 
     noises.'' They went to Jahn's Ice Cream Parlor. Jay was 19, 
     and Randy was 16. Later, Jay would make the time to drive his 
     car over to Randy's house so the two of them could wash it 
     together. His car must have been very dirty because he did 
     this almost every day. On weekends, they would go out on 
     dates. They were married on April 5, 1952 at a synagogue in 
     Brooklyn, and while they did not have a honeymoon, Jay and 
     Randy said that they honeymooned for many years on many trips 
     after that. Their marriage took place before Jay had to go 
     overseas during the Korean War, and Randy remembers well 
     their time in Georgia when they shared a house with other 
     couples before Jay was shipped out.
       Jay and Randy's love for each other was something to 
     behold. They simply loved being together, and it is hard if 
     not impossible to think of them apart. They have been married 
     for almost 53 years, and they shared everything.
       When Jay came back from the service, he went to Brooklyn 
     Law School. In order to get by, they needed family support, 
     and Jay clerked for his Uncle Julie and also worked at night 
     in order to bring in some money. Soon Hollie was born, and 
     Jay studied for the bar while Randy tried to keep her quiet.
       In 1958, the family moved to Washington, DC, where Perri 
     was born. Jay went to work for Granik & Marshall, a lobbying 
     law firm that dealt often with public television, and Jay 
     became especially interested in the production end of things. 
     He worked there for ten years, but then Jay went to work for 
     Senator Jacob Javitz of New York on Capital Hill.
       Jay loved working on the Hill. He loved writing legislation 
     and being a part of the process. He was also unusual. He was 
     not only competent but helpful and friendly when many other 
     people were not. A plaque in his office read, ``Mirthful Jay 
     Cutler.'' Hollie was especially proud when people at work 
     would meet her and say, ``You're Jay Cutler's daughter?'' And 
     even though he was extremely modest, Jay accomplished a great 
     deal. He would never put on airs or boast, but he was 
     extremely good at getting people together and getting things 
     done. A book that was written at the time called The Dance of 
     Legislation which followed the development of the National 
     Health Service Corps, and it featured Jay as one of its 
     subjects. It became clear with regards to this major 
     legislation that a great deal would not have happened if it 
     weren't for Jay.
       After working on Capitol Hill for ten years, Jay went to 
     work as a lobbyist for the American Psychiatric Association. 
     He worked for them for some 25 years, and he made a name for 
     himself as not only a professional but as a mentor to others. 
     He was well-respected and well-liked, and it might not be an 
     exaggeration to say that he mentored half of the health 
     lobbyists working on Capitol Hill today. Jay and Randy also 
     did a tremendous amount of traveling, going all over the 
     world on numerous trips. It was part of their life together 
     to go to new places. He retired just last year and was 
     looking forward to doing more consulting.
       Upon his retirement, the Congressional Record, entered on 
     April 30, 2003 by Senator Kennedy, praises Jay for his work. 
     It explains that Jay was part and parcel of legislation 
     having to do with mental illness reform and substance abuse 
     treatment, and he believed passionately in improving the 
     government's policies, alleviating suffering, and removing 
     the stigma that mental illness can often bring. It also makes 
     sure to mention Randy, his ever-present companion and 
     support. Jay was, after all, first and foremost a family man. 
     And all know him for the giving soul that he was. He was very 
     generous, and gave of himself and his time freely.
       As a father, Jay was always incredibly loving and playful 
     with Hollie and Perri. He could make any child smile, laugh, 
     and play. And he was not above stealing the chocolate 
     frosting off of someone's plate if you left the table or 
     pouring sugar into ashtrays at restaurants and setting them 
     on fire. His children remember how much he loved the beach 
     and could be found there from ten in the morning until 
     sunset, and he would have been there earlier if he didn't 
     like sleeping in while on vacation. He always seemed to have 
     a permanent tan.
       Jay was always there for his children, present but not 
     intrusive, and was always positive and upbeat. Hollie knows 
     what a special father she had, and she, too, went to law 
     school. And Perri especially remembers her trip to King's 
     Dominion with him and how he went on the rides with her even 
     though he was somewhat horrified at the thought. And for the 
     whole family, for Randy's siblings and their partners, Zelda 
     and Arthur, Louis and Barbara, for his nieces and nephews: 
     Sherry, Bonnie, Scott, Darrell, and Craig, and to his son-in-
     law Eric, bringing Rachael into his life, Jay was a source of 
     happiness and strength.
       But the center of his life was his love for his 
     granddaughter, Mikayla. Jay's sun rose and set on this 
     beautiful little girl who would lovingly call him ``Ga.'' He 
     would do anything for her, and to her, he was one big, 
     lovable toy. Only she was allowed to mess up his hair, and 
     only she could bring him to entirely new levels of joy. His 
     love and his life will have an impact on her far into the 
     future.
       Someone once wrote that life and death are not in our 
     hands. Just as we do not choose to be born, so we do not 
     choose to die. Jay's death is profoundly unfair. But he 
     leaves a legacy of love and life that is hard to beat. He 
     would have us smiling. His soul is certainly one of God's 
     lights. Zichrono livracha. Jay's memory will always be a 
     blessing.

                          ____________________