[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 106 (Friday, July 29, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1671-E1672]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    TRIBUTE TO CAROL THOMAE BARRETT

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. MARK UDALL

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 28, 2005

  Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my 
condolences to the Barrett family on the death of Carol Barrett, the 
mother of my staff member Jennifer Barrett. Jennifer and her family 
came up with some reflections on Carol's life that I would like to 
submit for the Record. I know that Carol died from complications 
related to Parkinson's disease, an illness I am all too familiar with, 
since my father also lost a long struggle with Parkinson's in 1998.
  I continue my fight for a cure for Parkinson's as co-chair of the Bi-
Cameral Caucus on Parkinson's Disease. The fight is too big for one 
individual, but working together I believe we can make great strides. 
What we achieve as a community will impact medical research, health 
care delivery, and millions of people throughout the country and the 
world. Continuing our search for a cure for Parkinson's won't save 
Carol's life, but it will go a long way to honor her memory.

            Reflections on the Life of Carol Thomae Barrett

       Carol was born November 12, 1938 in Boston to parents with 
     strong ties to their Scandinavian and German heritage. Family 
     ties were strengthened further when two Thomae brothers 
     married two Larson sisters. Carol had no siblings, but her 
     two cousins, Ken and Bob Thomae were very close to her, and 
     became her brothers.
       The families attended the Lutheran church in Dorchester and 
     much of Carol's social life was connected with the youth 
     activities of the church. An old photograph shows her as the 
     Lucia Girl, chosen from the entire Boston area. She excelled 
     in her academic studies, making it possible for her to attend 
     Girl's Latin School in Boston, and subsequently to be 
     admitted to Wellesley College as an English major.
       A blind date for a day of skiing with a Harvard medical 
     student named Peter changed her life, and Peter's, forever. 
     They were married during their respective final years in 
     school and moved into their first home, a fifth floor walk-up 
     apartment in Boston.
       Peter's princely wages of $60 per month as a resident in 
     Internal Medicine at the Massachusetts General Hospital did 
     not stretch very far, and Carol became the bread-winner by 
     combining a teaching assistant position with a Masters 
     program offered by Tufts University. Subsequently, her work 
     as an elementary school teacher in Boston and in Bethesda, 
     Maryland, provided most of our small family's support. The 
     family expanded in 1963 with the arrival of John in 1963, in 
     Bethesda, where Peter spent three years in research at the 
     National Institutes of Health. Following an additional year 
     in Boston, marked by the arrival of Jennifer, the family 
     headed for the Wild West, where Peter continued his medical 
     training, and then joined the faculty at Harbor-UCLA Medical 
     Center in Gastroenterology in 1967. In the early years of 
     marriage, Carol and Peter moved five times in a span of seven 
     years, and they were very glad to move into a home in Palos 
     Verdes where they could stay for a longer time. That home was 
     located at 29377 Quailwood Drive, and that was 38 years ago. 
     The third young Barrett, Anna, joined the family in 1969.
       Carol was an active participant in community affairs, 
     particularly with the Peninsula Committee for the 
     Philharmonic, and became its President in 1990-91. She 
     enjoyed her involvement in the PTA, various tennis leagues, 
     book club, and numerous family trips to Montana and Colorado. 
     Vacations often involved visiting Carol's family in the 
     Boston area, or welcoming them into the home in Palos Verdes. 
     Carol's grandmother, ``Great Nana,'' was born in Sweden and 
     had never traveled by air until she visited the Barretts. She 
     enjoyed her visit greatly and became a ``regular''.
       Carol always considered her most important roles to be in 
     the home. Her consistent support was vital to Peter's success 
     in his medical career, and was equally important in providing 
     a wonderful home for their three children. She was their 
     counselor, teacher, booster, and most of all, she was their 
     mother. True to a lifelong pattern, on her last shopping trip 
     she bought two dresses ``for the girls.''
       Parkinson's disease was first diagnosed eleven years ago, 
     but Carol was determined to continue with her many activities 
     as long as possible. Initially she was very successful in 
     these efforts, but the past several years brought increasing 
     difficulty and frustration as her Parkinson's worsened. 
     Nevertheless, because of the steadfast support of her large 
     circle of friends, she was able to continue and to enjoy most 
     of her social activities.
       Carol's final trip consisted of a series of wonderful 
     visits with family and friends. It included a visit with 
     daughter Jennifer in Washington, with tours of the Capitol 
     and White House; a day spent with life-long friends near 
     Boston; several days of Harvard and Wellesley reunion 
     activities; and a visit with her cousins in suburban Boston. 
     At this point, new health problems developed which resulted 
     in hospitalization at the Massachusetts General Hospital, the 
     hospital where she was born. All of her family were with her 
     when she finally slipped away. Life for her family and 
     friends will not be the same without her.
                                  ____


                    Some Thoughts From Her Children

       My mother Carol T. Barrett was a wonderful, intelligent, 
     competent, efficient mother. She loved us and changed her 
     life for us. Her greatest hurt was not being able to be with 
     and help her family as she wished, in the setting of lengthy 
     disability brought on by Parkinson's disease.

[[Page E1672]]

       When we noticed a connection between cheesecake and Little 
     League victories, she made a cheesecake each time I pitched. 
     When I cut my finger playing with a razor blade, she calmly 
     picked me up, took me to the doctor, and didn't say she told 
     me so. She took three of us, ages 6, 4, and 3 months, 
     unassisted, 3000 miles to go to our Uncle Ken's wedding on 
     the east coast. She forgave us for pouring water on her 
     cigarettes.
       My mother's illness came on slowly and strong in the end. 
     She didn't want people to know at first. To the end, she 
     wanted to be with her family and love them. I feel like I did 
     not pay her back for her love in the way that she deserved. 
     When I told her I don't think she could hear me.
       My mother expressed strong ideas about our country's 
     approach to curing and managing diseases. Some people express 
     religious objections to a scientific approach to these 
     problems. I think my mother would say to them, ``God helps 
     those who help themselves.'' If the religious zealots who 
     oppose such research followed my mother's moral and ethical 
     compass, we would be better off. Her care and love had 
     nothing to do with shouting and theorizing, and all to do 
     with doing.--John F. Barrett, MD.
       Mom was unhappy for the last few years of her life. She 
     could no longer do the things she loved to do, such as ride 
     horses or play tennis. She could no longer do things without 
     assistance, like dressing or getting up from a chair. Travel 
     was extremely difficult--so she didn't see her children or 
     grandchildren as often as she would have liked. She lost 
     her independence, and with it, her passion for living.
       Despite her pain and steady decline, Mom held on tight to 
     those she loved. Even when her life was closing around her, 
     she always wanted to know about our lives and loves and 
     dreams and disappointments.
       At times the pain of the last few years has threatened to 
     overwhelm my happier memories of Mom, but I'm determined to 
     keep them alive in my heart, since they are all I have in the 
     end. I will always remember her beauty and vitality and sense 
     of fun. She was always there to protect us, watching as we 
     swam in the huge waves at Redondo Beach, picking us up from 
     school. She was always there to praise us for good grades or 
     performances in school plays. She was a wonderful, warm, 
     loving mother.
       All she really wanted was for her children to be happy and 
     to find love for ourselves. When we weren't happy, she felt 
     our pain. I'd like to think that she is happy now, knowing 
     that her children have found their way. All three of us are 
     challenged by our jobs and busy lives. John is married with a 
     beautiful wife and two children, Anna is recently married 
     (one of Mom's last joys was attending the wedding of Anna and 
     Kevin), and I am happy and in love. The thought that--at the 
     end--she knew of my happiness gives me great comfort.
       I will miss her forever.--Jennifer Hollister Barrett.
       ``I am part of all that I have met.''--Alfred, Lord 
     Tennyson
       Carol Ann Thomae Barrett is a part of everyone and 
     everything she touched, and the impact she made on her 
     family, friends, and community is everlasting. If I am half 
     the mother, daughter, wife, friend, and community volunteer 
     that she was, my life will be fulfilled and I will owe it all 
     to her. A Native American proverb says ``They are not dead 
     who live in the hearts they leave behind.'' My heart aches 
     too much right now for this to bring me comfort, but I know 
     it will in time. Mom lives in more hearts than I can count.--
     Anna Larson Barrett Loewen.

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