[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 51 (Wednesday, March 25, 2009)]
[House]
[Page H3999]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                HONORING THE LIFE OF CHRISTINE SARBANES

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Van Hollen) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember Christine 
Sarbanes and offer my heartfelt condolences to former Senator Sarbanes 
and our colleague, John Sarbanes, and the entire Sarbanes family. They 
have lost a cherished loved one, and our State of Maryland has lost a 
good, kind and gracious friend.
  Christine Sarbanes was a dedicated wife and loving mother who worked 
tirelessly with her husband to serve their beloved State of Maryland. 
She was an educator, improving the lives of her students with her 
incredible enthusiasm and her intellect, which she brought to the 
classroom every single day. Christine Sarbanes believed with every 
fiber of her body and her being that we all have the potential to be 
great, and she channeled her passion into a career in education which 
touched the lives of thousands of Marylanders.
  I will always remember Christine Sarbanes as a pillar of strength and 
the embodiment of grace. She accompanied her husband and family on 
countless Labor Day, Memorial Day and Fourth of July parades that she 
faithfully participated in as the spouse of a Member of Congress. 
Charming her way through the crowd, stopping to share her special 
concern with young people in our great State, she had a special eye for 
young people, and young people came to her and understood that this was 
a special person who cared about them. Whether it was in Baltimore at a 
bull roast or a crab feast in Crisfield or a folk festival in Takoma 
Park, Christine Sarbanes felt at home, and she made all the people she 
touched feel special. Her loss is felt not only by her family and 
friends, but by the thousands of lives in Maryland and around the 
country that she touched and the countless others she inspired.
  Mr. Speaker, please join me in honoring the life of Christine 
Sarbanes. Her kindness and legacy of public service serves as an 
example to all of us, and she will be deeply missed.

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