[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 147 (Tuesday, October 4, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1756]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      HONORING THE LIFE OF JUDY McLAUGHLIN OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. BETTY McCOLLUM

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, October 4, 2011

  Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I would like to pay tribute to the life 
and memory of Ms. Judy McLaughlin, a civic and political leader in St. 
Paul, Minnesota who passed away on September 5, 2011 at the age of 
sixty-six. Throughout her adult life Judy was an active and influential 
leader in the Minnesota Democratic Farmer Labor Party (DFL) and a force 
in the civic life of St. Paul. She and her late husband, Mike 
McLaughlin, were the owners of Summit Manor on Summit Avenue in St. 
Paul. Their commitment to St. Paul helped transform Ramsey Hill from a 
historic neighborhood plagued with crime and at risk of decay into a 
national model for historic preservation.
  Along with Mike, Judy was active in Fourth Congressional District and 
St. Paul DFL politics throughout her life. She knew all the players, 
all the issues, and had an informed opinion about where her city, state 
and Nation should be going. She was known to every DFL political leader 
for four decades, and Summit Manor was a well known venue for political 
gatherings.
  When I got started in politics I knew Mike McLaughlin as a powerful 
political leader and Judy was most definitely his equal. She worked in 
the Minnesota State Legislature for the DFL Speaker of the House. She 
helped work on and guide campaigns for city council, mayor, the state 
legislature, Congress, and the U.S. Senate.
  On a gray, rainy day in October 2002 Minnesota suffered the 
heartbreaking deaths of Senator Paul Wellstone and his wife, Sheila, 
along with their daughter and five campaign aides. Judy's son, Will, 
was one of those staff members who died that tragic morning. While all 
of Minnesota felt a loss, including many of us who lost dear friends 
that day, Judy's loss was profound.
  Yet, the following day Judy attended a rally for peace on the steps 
of the Cathedral of St. Paul which was supposed to be attended by 
Senator Wellstone and her son, who traveled everywhere with the 
senator. Mayor Chris Coleman of St. Paul described the events of that 
day as he eulogized Judy saying, ``She knew that no cause worth 
fighting for could die with the death of a few. She had to be there in 
spite of the immense agony she felt.''
  I knew Judy as a DFL leader, a local businesswoman, and as a neighbor 
who I would run into at the local coffee shop or out on a morning walk. 
She was an anchor in the community and a respected voice. Her passing 
is a loss for St. Paul and for all the friends and loved ones whom she 
shared her very full life with.
  It was an honor to know Judy. I wish to extend my condolences to her 
four daughters and two sons. Judy McLaughlin gave so much of herself to 
family, community, and country. She was true to her beliefs and for 
that she will always be remembered with fondness, respect and deep 
appreciation.

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