[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 155 (Wednesday, December 1, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2018-E2019]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         A TRIBUTE IN HONOR OF THE HONORABLE MARY CURTIS DAVEY

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. ANNA G. ESHOO

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 1, 2010

  Ms. ESHOO. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the long life and 
lasting legacy of

[[Page E2019]]

Mary Curtis Davey, a distinguished Californian and the conscience of 
our community, who died October 2, 2010. Throughout her life, Mary was 
a consummate community activist and advocate whose tremendous 
accomplishments remind us of the difference one person can make.
  A native of Columbus, Ohio, Mary attended Smith College and graduated 
with degrees in English and government. She met and married Jack Davey, 
a Korean War veteran, and moved to Baltimore, where she first became 
involved in fighting housing discrimination. After moving to Los Altos 
Hills in 1961, Mary brought her compassion and intensity of purpose to 
the Peninsula, making her mark almost immediately. She became Mayor of 
Los Altos Hills in 1966, where her fair housing advocacy caused her to 
be recalled from the City Council. Unfazed, Mary continued to fight 
vigorously for equity and opportunity through countless community 
channels.
  Among her many invaluable roles, Mary served as the Director of 
Midpeninsula Citizens for Fair Housing, CEO of Santa Clara County 
Advocates for Women, Interim Executive Director of the Palo Alto Red 
Cross, Board Member of Hidden Villa, and Co-Founder of the Midpeninsula 
Regional Open Space District, which was one of her proudest 
accomplishments. But even the stunning 56,000 acres couldn't contain 
Mary's boundless enthusiasm and dedication . . . she was truly a local 
force of nature, a civic superwoman of remarkable poise and power.
  When Mary was honored with the Josephine and Frank Duveneck 
Humanitarian Award in 2001, I was privileged to pay tribute to her in 
Congress. I said then that ``Mary Curtis Davey was ``an exceptional 
voice and advocate for improving the quality of life in our community'' 
and an extraordinary woman who ``dedicated her life to making the San 
Mateo Peninsula a more humane, beautiful and healthy place.'' She 
continued her commitment to community right up until the day she died.
  Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in extending our 
deepest condolences to Mary Davey's husband, Jack; her children, Kit, 
John, and Curtis; and her grandchildren, John, Devon, Christopher, and 
Callan. The Reverend Carl Frederick Buechner writes that vocation is 
``where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet.'' Few 
people better embody this intersection than Mary. For 80 years she 
applied her own inimitable talents to the concerns of her community, 
raising our spirits and feeding our souls. Her extraordinary 
environmental and humanitarian contributions have enriched the Bay Area 
in countless ways, and will live on in the open spaces, fair housing, 
and social services she championed. I consider myself blessed to have 
been her friend and her Representative and I ask the entire House of 
Representatives to join me in honoring the life of this singularly 
exceptional woman who strengthened her community and her country with 
unparalleled contributions.

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