[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 153 (Thursday, September 25, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Page S9487]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          TRIBUTE TO MARY MARK

 Mr. SMITH. Mr. President, former Oregon Governor Tom McCall 
once said, ``Heroes are not statues framed against a red sky. They are 
people who say, `This is my community and it is my responsibility to 
make it better'.''
  Today I pay tribute to a remarkable lady who truly earned the title 
of ``hero,'' because few individuals have done more in the past several 
decades to make the community of Portland, OR, a better place than Mary 
Mark. Mary passed away recently, and last week I joined with over 600 
other Oregonians in attending a tribute service that honored Mary's 
life and legacy.
  I first met Mary some 13 years ago when I was just beginning my 
campaign for the Senate. I had heard from many friends of the sterling 
reputation of Mary and her husband Pete and their status as two of 
Oregon's most generous philanthropists, but since I was from east of 
the mountains, I had not had the opportunity to meet them. And, 
unfortunately, the purpose of our meeting was for me to do something I 
hate to do, but which is a necessary evil for running for office--and 
that's to ask people for money.
  It didn't take me but a few minutes into the meeting to reach a few 
conclusions--conclusions that have been reinforced time and time again 
over the years. First, Mary and Pete were two of the warmest and most 
gracious people I had ever met. There is a tradition here on the floor 
of the U.S. Senate where members refer to each other as ``gentleman'' 
or ``gentlelady.'' We yield to the ``gentleman from Iowa,'' or we agree 
with the remarks of the ``gentlelady from Maine.'' There are some who 
believe the terms are quaint and old-fashioned. I do not. I don't think 
that manners and kindness and courtesy ever go out of fashion. And I 
can't think of better words to describe Pete and Mary as a 
``gentleman'' and a ``gentlelady.''
  The second conclusion I reached is that Mary and Pete were two of the 
keenest observers of the political scene that I had ever met. I always 
looked forward to our meetings, because I knew that Mary was going to 
ask me some tough questions, and I knew she would share with me her 
very perceptive opinions. To be frank, in our business it is easy to 
find individuals who will tell me what they think I want to hear. Mary 
Mark always told me what I needed to hear.
  It was also easy to see that as much as Mary loved her country and 
her community, the true great love of her life was her husband, and 
their wonderful children and grandchildren. Mary understood 
instinctively that our success as a society depends not on what happens 
in the conference tables of Washington, DC, but on what happens at 
kitchen tables in every community in Oregon. And when Sharon and I 
experienced a tragedy in our family, Mary and Pete reached out to us 
with kindness and compassion.
  Mr. President, the Greek poet Sophocles once wrote, ``One must wait 
until the evening to see how splendid the day has been.'' For her 
family, for the community of Portland, and for Mary's countless friends 
and admirers, the evening of Mary's life came much too soon. It is my 
hope, however, that we can find solace in the fact that in the evening 
of her time on earth, Mary Mark could look back at a life filled with 
family, a life filled with generosity, a life filled with service to 
others, a life filled with making a positive difference, and say that 
the day had indeed been splendid.
  May God bless Mary Mark, and may we all carry on her legacy by loving 
our community and by loving our family.

                          ____________________