[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 113 (Wednesday, July 13, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1104]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   IN HONOR OF THE LIFE OF MARY FRITZ

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JOE COURTNEY

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 13, 2016

  Mr. COURTNEY. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in sadness to honor and 
remember a lifelong friend and colleague, former Connecticut State 
Representative, Mary Fritz, who honorably served constituents in 
Cheshire and Wallingford for an impressive thirty-two years and who 
passed away last week. Mary dedicated her life to serving the people of 
the 90th district, and will forever be remembered for her fighting 
spirit and genuine care for constituents. Her strong sense of morality 
guided her work in the legislature and marked her as a truly 
exceptional representative.
  Before her tenure in the Connecticut General Assembly, Mary studied 
at Emmanuel College, Boston College, Trinity College, and Fairfield 
University. She later expanded her role in Connecticut school systems, 
serving as a Wallingford Public School teacher, the president of the 
Yalesville School PTA, and ultimately, the Chairwoman of the 
Wallingford Board of Education. She was an outstanding model for the 
value of education--a sentiment that translated to her work in the 
legislature, as she prioritized education policy. Mary also spent years 
forging the way for new legislation to battle crime and advance health 
care in Connecticut, while also paying special attention to protecting 
and serving senior citizens.
  I couldn't agree more with Governor Malloy's recent statement, ``She 
was a true public servant who put the priorities of her constituents 
first and represented her district with distinction.'' From 1987 to 
1994 I represented the citizens of Vernon, Connecticut at the General 
Assembly alongside Mary. For two years we sat side by side in the House 
chambers and I enjoyed every minute of her steady commentary on the 
bills we were working on, the speeches we listened to, and the people 
who paraded by our seats on the back benches. She had a biting wit and 
shrewd mind that sized up every bit of action going on--even into the 
late hours. During those long sessions she brought her quilting with 
her, and one time I voted a way she didn't like, she poked me with her 
quilting needle--with a big devilish grin on her face.
  She was focused on two things as a person and a public official. 
First, representing the voters who elected her. Winning a swing seat 
sixteen times shows how successfully she accomplished that mission. And 
second, she was truly devoted to her family--her husband, William, and 
their children who are all special and successful in their own right.
  The positive footprint of Mary's work will be gratefully remembered 
for years to come. I trust that her legacy will live on through the 
work of loving family--her husband, six children, and fourteen 
grandchildren. Her presence and spirit will be greatly missed both in 
and out of the legislature. I now ask that my colleagues please join me 
in remembering Mary's full and altruistic life, and in offering our 
sincere condolences to her friends and family.

                          ____________________