[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 65 (Thursday, April 30, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1031]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 HONORING THE LIFE OF MATTHEW SCHNIREL

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BRIAN HIGGINS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 30, 2009

  Mr. HIGGINS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Matthew 
Schnirel, a lifelong member of the Buffalo, NY community. He died 
tragically when the single engine plane he was riding in crashed just 
east of Cleveland, OH the afternoon of April 28, 2009. Schnirel was 
helping Michael Doran, his associate at the Doran and Murphy Law firm 
and pilot of the plane, with his ongoing fight for the railroad workers 
of Ohio. The two were on their way back to Buffalo.
  Making Matthew's death all the more heartrending was the fact that 
the 26 year old was just starting his life and career. He returned from 
earning an undergraduate degree in history at the University at Albany 
to graduate from the University at Buffalo Law School in 2008. Matthew 
passed the Bar Exam in January 2009 when he began work as an attorney 
at Doran & Murphy. He and his longtime girlfriend, Lauren, recently 
purchased a home in a Buffalo suburb, where he is missed by parents, 
brother and two sisters.
  Matthew's parents, a salesman and an emergency room nurse, taught him 
the values of hard work and helping others and he hoped to put those 
values to use as a civil litigator to help those injured or wronged by 
the carelessness of others. An avid competitor in nationwide trial 
competitions Schnirel was described as a ``superstar in the making'' by 
Christopher Murphy, a partner at the law firm where he worked. His life 
and spirit will be remembered by his family and friends for his hard 
work ethic and contribution to his community.
  Madam Speaker, I offer my deepest condolences to Matthew's family, 
his girlfriend, Lauren, and all those whose lives he touched. Our 
community grieves the loss of this young and promising life.

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