[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 76 (Monday, May 18, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1188]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIBUTE TO HELEN CROFT

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JASON ALTMIRE

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                          Monday, May 18, 2009

  Mr. ALTMIRE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the 
extraordinary life of Helen Croft, who died unexpectedly this month at 
the age of 45.
  Known for her warmth, optimism and contagious enthusiasm, Helen was 
an art teacher at North Allegheny School District's Hosack Elementary 
School. In this capacity, she positively impacted the lives of 
thousands of young students, including most recently my two daughters, 
Natalie and Grace.
  She treated every student, teacher and parent with respect, and 
brought a smile to the face of seemingly everyone with whom she came 
into contact. She exhibited a love of life that extended well beyond 
the school.
  She also worked as a coach in a community soccer league, and 
cultivated at her home a renowned colonial-style garden that drew 
admirers from across western Pennsylvania. A graduate of Buffalo State 
University and the Fashion Institute of New York City, she was known 
for her talent for embroidery, which she regularly shared with friends 
and neighbors.
  She will be greatly missed by those friends and neighbors, as well as 
the entire North Allegheny School District, especially her students. 
But of course her loss will be most deeply felt by her husband Corky 
and their two children, Jacob and Hannah.
  Her work lives on in the hearts of everyone she touched, and she 
serves as a lasting inspiration to the students who loved her.

                          ____________________