[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 106 (Friday, July 15, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1340]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING ROSEMARY WAHLBERG

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. WILLIAM R. KEATING

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, July 15, 2011

  Mr. KEATING. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Rosemary Wahlberg, a 
loving mother, wife and long-time community advocate, who recently 
celebrated her 80th birthday on May 18, 2011.
  Rosemary has dedicated her life to the service of the less-fortunate, 
inspired by her short time as a resident of public housing in the 
Quincy neighborhood of Germantown in the late 1950s and early 1960s. A 
mother herself, she was distraught by the plights of numerous widows 
and single mothers struggling to hold their families together. Never a 
woman to be deterred, Rosemary began her own personal ``war on 
poverty'' campaign, beginning as an employee of a recently-enacted 
federally-funded nutrition program. It did not take long for both her 
employers and those she served to understand the merit of her work 
ethic, passion and dedication.
  For 25 years, Rosemary served as Executive Director of Quincy 
Community Action Programs, where she and her colleagues provided 
indispensable services from adult education and workforce development 
training, to food and nutrition services to housing assistance 
programs. With Rosemary at the helm, no fight on behalf of those 
families was lost, no goal left unattained.
  Rosemary is known throughout Massachusetts as a fighter for the 
underprivileged, and a champion for the rights of all residents of the 
Commonwealth. She commands respect and admiration from law enforcement 
officials and local and federal government officials alike. To reflect 
on her work for our community is to reflect on a life of selflessness, 
devotion, drive and, above all, care for her fellow man.
  The City of Quincy and surrounding communities are a better place 
thanks to Rosemary's patience, values and unrelenting strength. She is 
truly a modern-day hero of community activism, and one whose legacy 
will not soon be forgotten. Congratulations, Rosemary, on your 80th 
birthday and best wishes on many more years of fulfillment.

                          ____________________