[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 70 (Wednesday, April 30, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E771]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO CLARE M. ALBOM

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JOE COURTNEY

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 30, 2008

  Mr. COURTNEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the life of 
Clare M. Albom a consummate leader in physical education, safety, 
senior and women's issues in eastern Connecticut. On April 26, 2008, 
Clare passed away.
  Clare was born in Ellington, Connecticut, on June 17, 1919. She 
attended Rockville High School and subsequently earned a B.A. in 
health, physical education and recreation from Arnold College in New 
Haven. After graduation, Clare moved to Pasadena, California, and 
assumed a position with the Aerojet Engineering Corporation, drafting 
blue prints for jet engines. After 2 years in Pasadena, Clare and her 
husband, Milton, returned to Rockville to raise a family.
  Following the birth of her three children and the untimely death of 
her beloved husband, she began teaching with her alma mater, Rockville 
High School. For 15 years, she remained dedicated to girls' physical 
education at Rockville High School, teaching sports curriculum and 
forming the Girls' Athletic Activities Club (GAAC). The GAAC, which was 
a huge success, offered girls in the community an unprecedented 
opportunity to explore interests in individual and team sports. In 
1971, the GAAC received national accolades, when the program was 
recognized as the most outstanding in the U.S.
  Over the course of her career, Clare worked with the Connecticut 
State Department of Education, evaluating the quality of physical 
education programs across the State and conducting teacher workshops. 
Highlights included serving as a master bowling clinician for the 
Lifetime Sports Education Project and conducting bowling workshops for 
special education teachers withthe acclaimed Kennedy Institute. Her 
work in physical education has also been solidified in physical 
education textbooks and national manuals.
  In addition to her work in the physical education community, Clare 
was a passionate advocate for children's safety. Between 1970 and 1979, 
she served as the supervisor of Health, Elementary and Girls' Physical 
Education in the Vernon school system. In 1974, she developed a safety 
education program which was recognized at the State level by the 
Connecticut Safety Commission. In 1978, she produced a film on bus 
safety, ``Alert and Alive,'' which also received State recognition by 
the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles and national recognition 
at the National Highway Transportation Convention in Washington, D.C.
  After retiring, Clare was asked by the Vernon mayor, Marie Herbst, to 
head up the Vernon Senior Center, which at the time was a very small 
program. Clare transformed the center into one of the most successful 
municipal senior centers in Connecticut. The center sponsored group 
trips in the U.S. and abroad, started ``The Golden Steppers'' dance 
program, a golf league, a bridge club, holiday events--the list goes 
on. Even more importantly, the center became an advocate in Vernon, the 
State capital, and Washington, DC, to create innovative assistance for 
seniors--ConnPACE, circuit breaks property tax relief and improvements 
to Social Security and Medicare.
  As a State Representative for the town of Vernon I had the privilege 
to know and work with Clare for the last 22 years. She was a tireless 
advocate for the center, but even more importantly, for her 
progressive, compassionate vision of the Vernon community.
  Madam Speaker, Clare lived an extraordinary life. Her advocacy and 
leadership roles in often overlooked issues, including girls' physical 
education, children's safety and opportunities for senior citizens, 
improved the lives of our friends and neighbors in Connecticut and 
across the Nation, and would change the status quo for future 
generations. I ask my colleagues to join with me and my constituents in 
recognizing her life and legacy and offering condolences to her family.

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