[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 87 (Thursday, June 16, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1120]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       REMEMBERING AND HONORING THE LIFE OF WILLIAM P. POWERS SR.

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JOE COURTNEY

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 16, 2011

  Mr. COURTNEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mourn the passing and 
honor the life of William P. Powers. Bill, a long-time resident of 
Niantic, Connecticut, passed away peacefully on May 29, 2011. Bill's 
desire to give back to his country and community was without bounds. We 
are fortunate that he chose to spend his life protecting our nation, 
teaching our young people, and working tirelessly to ensure a good life 
for the people around him.
  Following the death of their father, Bill and his brother were raised 
in New Haven by their mother and her extended family. After graduating 
from high school, Bill went to work at High Standard Manufacturing Co., 
which made deep hole drills, and eventually .22 caliber pistols and 
repeating rifles, during World War II.
  Bill's impressive work ethic, revealed at a young age, afforded him a 
life full of rich and diverse experiences. In New Haven, he bused 
tables of Yale's famous Berkely College dining hall, delivered 
telegraphs for Western Union on his bicycle, and even worked a 
maintenance job for the city's railroad. When war erupted and gripped 
the nation, Bill enlisted in the U.S. Navy. When his number was called 
up in October of 1942, he trained as a pilot, flying the well-known 
``Privateer'' patrol bomber. He was stationed in Kearney, California.
  When the war ended, Bill enrolled at Columbia University on the GI 
Bill. He kept himself busy as a student and worked as a waiter at the 
Drake Hotel, where he crossed paths with famous singers and songwriters 
like Frank Sinatra and Cole Porter.
  Education was a lifelong passion and pursuit for Bill. After 
graduating from Columbia, he took a job back in Connecticut, this time 
in East Lyme's Niantic village where he would live for nearly 60 years. 
He served as principal of the Flanders, Niantic Center, and Great Neck 
schools in eastern Connecticut. He knew not only the name of every 
student in his schools, but also an interesting fact about each one of 
them. While ensuring that his students had a safe and productive place 
to learn, Bill pursued more education of his own, earning a Master of 
Arts and Sixth Year degree from UConn. He also led a group of his 
colleagues as the President of Connecticut's Elementary and Middle 
School Principals' Association.
  It is not surprising that when Bill's time as a professional educator 
came to a close, he put his signature passion and hard work into making 
his state and community a better place. For a period, he spent several 
years in Connecticut's General Assembly as legislative aide for his 
son, Senator Mark H. Powers, and also as a popular messenger in the 
senate. He even spent some time as an investigator in the New London 
Public Defender's office and was a respected and beloved Justice of the 
Peace. Bill was also an active member of American Legion Post 128.
  Bill's contributions as a U.S. Navy veteran, an educator, and civic 
leader could easily fill three lifetimes, but he packed it all into 
one. I admire his desire to make education a lifelong experience and 
his commitment to preserve his deep Connecticut roots. He will be 
dearly missed by his state, his community and most of all by his loving 
wife, Jane, and five boys, William Jr., Mark, Joseph, Richard, and 
Thomas. I ask my colleagues to join me in mourning the loss and 
celebrating the life of William P. Powers.

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