[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 21 (Thursday, February 4, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E120]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF KATHLEEN P. DEVINE

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JOE COURTNEY

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, February 4, 2016

  Mr. COURTNEY. Mr. Speaker, it is with great sadness that I rise to 
honor the life of a great journalist and public servant from the state 
of Connecticut, and life-long friend, Kathleen P. Devine, who passed 
away in Groton, Connecticut after a brief illness last week. Kathleen 
was known to all who had the privilege of meeting her as a deeply 
principled, hardworking, and positive public servant with a 
distinguished career in both finance and journalism.
  Kathleen served as the Treasurer of the City of Hartford, Connecticut 
from 1998 to 2011, during which time she advocated fiercely for the 
city's employees and pensioners. Her tireless work ethic and grasp of 
financial markets translated into positive results for the City and its 
workforce. When she left office she left behind a distinguished career 
in public service which began with her role as Deputy Treasurer to 
Denise Nappier and staff member for State Treasurer Frank Borges.
  Before her many years in office, Kathleen was a well-respected 
journalist and member of the Editorial Board of the Hartford Courant. 
There, she spoke up for underrepresented voices, particularly women and 
minorities, to ensure that their stories were told. She was a 
trailblazing woman in a field that at the time was mostly dominated by 
men. Her poise, determination, and grit left a decades-long impact on 
her colleagues. One Courant colleague, Susan Campbell, recently 
recalled Kathleen's role as a mentor during her first months as a 
journalist, noting her humor and down-to-earth personality. Kathleen 
always made a point to recognize people for the good work that they 
did, even when most in the newsroom would keep their head down in self-
interest.
  Kathleen was an incredible mentor, public servant, writer, advocate 
and friend. Her tenacity and sense of justice will certainly be missed 
in Connecticut and in the lives of her many friends and family. As I 
said, Kathleen was a lifelong friend as a result of the closeness of my 
family and the Palm family that went back to the 1950s. She never 
failed to remind me, and anyone else I was with at social and political 
gatherings, that she babysat for me, and as a result I better shape up 
as a state legislator and Congressman or she would embarrass me with 
stories of early years. I never doubted for a moment that she would and 
did my best to live up to her high standards.
  Kathleen's passing is a real loss to the world--she was a bright 
spirit who could light up a room and make you laugh and think at the 
same time. What a rare gift it was to have known her. I ask all my 
colleagues to please join me in sending my sincere condolences to those 
who will feel this loss most deeply: her daughter, step-son, sister, 
brother, sister-in-law, nieces and nephews, and grandchildren.

                          ____________________