[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 111 (Monday, July 11, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Page S4942]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  REMEMBERING SONIA AND MARTIN J. WOLF

  Mr. BENNET. Madam President, today I want to recognize the legacy of 
two great Coloradans, Sonia and Martin J. Wolf. After 54 years of 
marriage and a lifetime of public service, Martin and Sonia passed away 
recently within weeks of each other in Denver, CO.


 =========================== NOTE =========================== 

  
  On page S4942, July 11, 2016, near the top of the first column, 
the following language appears: Mr. BENNETT. . . . Madam 
President, . . .
  
  The online Record has been corrected to read: Mr. BENNET. . . . 
Madam President, . . .


 ========================= END NOTE ========================= 

  Martin Wolf was chief of staff to Senators Mike Gravel and Floyd 
Haskell and administrative assistant to two Colorado Governors and 
former Denver Mayor Federico Pena. He then went on to work on President 
Johnson's staff--all with the love of his life by his side. The two 
spent a lifetime advocating for what they believed in, and they worked 
tirelessly to leave the world a better place than they found it.
  Their dedication to public service is widely renowned and respected. 
Martin and Sonia, and the passion they carried for their work, will be 
deeply missed.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the following obituary 
for the Wolfs be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

       Admired for their decades of public service, Sonia and 
     Martin J. Wolf, married for fifty-four years, died within 
     weeks of each other in Denver, CO.
       Mr. Wolf was Chief of Staff to two United States Senators 
     and Administrative Assistant to two Colorado Governors and a 
     Denver Mayor. They were much admired in Washington and Denver 
     for their devotion to each other and to public service.
       Mrs. Wolf, a native New Yorker raised primarily in Miami, 
     Florida, met her husband during her career as an accountant 
     and financial advisor. Recognizing that they must be lifetime 
     companions, they slipped away for a weekend from the campaign 
     of Gov. Steve McNichols to get married in 1962, flying to 
     Santa Fe where New Mexico's Governor made special 
     arrangements to open a court on a Saturday. They were 
     inseparable ever after.
       Mr. Wolf, a Colorado native, was a Navy veteran of WW II, 
     graduating from Denver University in 1950. He embarked on a 
     journalism career that took him to posts in Australia and 
     Alaska before returning to Denver as a reporter on KOA-TV.
       In 1962 he became Press Secretary for Gov. McNichols, also 
     directing Coloradans for President Lyndon Johnson in 1964.
       LBJ's White House Chief of Staff W. Marvin Watson was so 
     impressed that he brought Sonia and Marty to Washington as 
     Special Assistant to Chairman John Bailey at the DNC and 
     later as Special Assistant to The Postmaster General when 
     Watson was appointed to the Cabinet.
       In 1970, Marty became Chief of Staff to Alaska Senator Mike 
     Gravel. In that position, he came into possession of the 
     ``Pentagon Papers,'' loading the boxes into the trunk of his 
     car. To Sonia's chagrin, he kept a lifelong pledge never to 
     reveal his source to anyone. Senator Gravel astounded the 
     world reading sections aloud on the floor of the Senate while 
     the Washington Post was fighting to publish.
       The Wolfs kept their home in Denver, so it was a natural 
     transfer when Marty became Chief of Staff for newly elected 
     Senator Floyd Haskell, a lifelong friend.
       In 1979, the Wolfs returned permanently to Denver where he 
     became Regional Small Business Advocate.
       Wolf was considered a great success moulding together the 
     freshman agency within six mountain states. When he retired 
     in 1985, Gov. Richard Lamm proclaimed ``Martin J. Wolf Day'' 
     in Colorado, hailing ``his dedicated, thoughtful, persuasive 
     leadership.''
       Wolf went on to assist Gov. Lamm as an AA and completed his 
     long career as Denver Mayor Federico Pena's Assistant for 
     Boards and Commissions from 1988 to 1991.
       During retirement, the Wolfs contributed their efforts to 
     numerous not-for-profit endeavors and were much sought after 
     for their calm, genial expertise, achieved over a lifetime of 
     public service. In particular they supported the Multiple 
     Sclerosis Society in response to Sonia's heroic lifelong 
     struggle with MS. They never missed a chance to participate 
     in Presidential campaigns as loyal Democrats.
       A memorial service will be held on June 6 at 11 a.m. at the 
     Little Ivy Chapel, 430 S. Quebec St., Denver, CO (Tel: 303 
     399 0692). Martin Wolf passed from us on February 3, 2016 and 
     Sonia Wolf joined him on May 1, 2016.
       The Wolfs are survived by a number of relatives, including 
     Sonia's brother, Eugene Kesser of Miami, FL; Martin's nephew, 
     Paul Downing of Denver and two godchildren whom they 
     considered ``grandchildren,'' Broadway director, Ethan 
     McSweeny of Brooklyn, NY and Federal Trade Commissioner, 
     Terrell McSweeny of Washington, DC.
       In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the 
     Colorado Multiple Sclerosis Society, 900 S. Broadway, Suite 
     250, Denver, CO 80209.

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