[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 41 (Thursday, March 8, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1567-S1569]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                       Tribute to Mary Ann Kelley

  Mr. COONS. Mr. President, I rise in this historic Chamber to offer my 
thanks, my respect, and to pay homage to an incredibly valued member of 
my staff who is about to retire from the U.S. Senate after decades of 
dedicated service.
  A New Englander by birth and a Delawarian by choice, Mary Ann Kelley 
has served as my deputy scheduler now for 7 years and is due to retire 
tomorrow, March 9.
  Mary Ann Kelley--or MAK, as she is affectionately called in my 
office--started a career with the U.S. Senate way back in December 1990 
as a staff assistant for then-Senator Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr. 
Except for a break in service, Mary Ann served on Senator Biden's team 
until he resigned to become Vice President in 2009. She stayed on 
through the tenure of Senator Ted Kaufman and joined my scheduling team 
late in 2010.
  In her having served now three U.S. Senators, Mary Ann brings a 
breadth of knowledge and experience to my front office and scheduling 
team. She helps to maintain my schedule, helps to organize and evaluate 
and to track hundreds of invitations and scheduling requests to 
coworkers and constituents. Mary Ann's professionalism and business 
acumen are unwavering and valued. She always maintains her composure 
despite the stress and sometimes craziness this unique position offers. 
My team in Delaware appreciates her ready wit, balanced judgment, and 
calming presence.
  Krista Brady, my talented casework manager, said:

       MAK adds that something extra Irish to the office. Every 
     morning, she comes in wearing her snazziest outfit, drinking 
     her cappuccino from Starbucks, and ready to tell a funny 
     story.

  Krista reminded me about Mary Ann's love for cats, her famous 
Halloween mask, her curry chicken, and,

[[Page S1568]]

of course, her wicked New England spirit.
  Mary Ann's story is rooted deeper than in just her years of Senate 
service. MAK's authenticity, personality, and devotion to friends and 
family make her a staff favorite and valued member of my team. To 
properly honor Mary Ann, let me share some details about her background 
and her persona.
  A graduate of Cardinal Spellman High School and Framingham State 
University, Mary Ann was born and lived in Massachusetts until she 
moved to Delaware in 1979. Ask MAK about her hometown, and she will 
quickly chime in with ``Brockton, MA--home of Rocky Marciano and Marvin 
Hagler!'' Thanks to Rocky and Marvin, world heavyweight and 
middleweight boxing champions, Brockton is recognized as the City of 
Champions.
  If Rocky and Marvin are Brockton's boxing champions, Mary Ann is the 
city's undisputed world champion in cooking, whether it be baking, 
roasting, or toasting. Like Rocky and Marvin, Mary Ann has a passion 
and talent for her own chosen sport, one that she has practiced and 
refined over many years. Marvin Hagler explained what makes a winner, 
and what Mary Ann did to become a well-seasoned top chef is the same 
thing. Marvin Hagler, the boxer, once said, ``Every fighter has got 
[to] be dedicated, learn how to sacrifice, know what devotion is all 
about, make sure you're paying attention and studying your art.''
  Mary Ann learned to cook at an early age. She will say that she was 
born with a love of cooking. This interest is something she has pursued 
through her college years and into today. She earned a bachelor's of 
science in food and nutrition from Framingham State in 1967 and 
subsequently mentored and educated students as a home economics teacher 
for 5 years. Mary Ann taught classes on food, nutrition, and, of 
course, cooking.
  Over the decades, our very own MAK perfected a wide range of 
delicacies to soothe and feed family, friends, and fellow Delawarians. 
Often, the people she fed and cared for were through her efforts at the 
Ministry of Caring in Wilmington, DE. Mary Ann worked for a decade as 
the head chef at the Ministry of Caring, a community-based nonprofit 
that provides a network of social, health, and support services for 
those who are living in poverty or who are homeless. Mary Ann used her 
professional education, her faith, and her experience to feed the souls 
of people and provide them comfort through food served at the 
Ministry's Emmanuel Dining Room.
  When Mary Ann returned to the Senate after her break in service, she 
rallied her coworkers to volunteer and serve food monthly at the 
Emmanuel Dining Room, where I, too, have volunteered. When I took 
office as a Senator, we continued this outreach, and it served as a 
great opportunity for my casework team and others to connect with 
constituents.
  Besides MAK's involvement with the Ministry of Caring, for many 
years, she owned and operated her own excellent business, Creative 
Catering Cuisine. To this day, she still receives catering requests and 
calls from friends for cookies, cakes, and other treats. Mary Ann's 
depth and variety of dishes are unique and storied. Staff favorites 
include MAK's mouth-watering filet mignon, cranberry coffee cake, Irish 
cake, banana pudding, and a wide variety of pound cakes. Lynne Phifer, 
my intern coordinator, speaks highly of Mary Ann's homemade oatmeal 
cookies and other confections. Lynne and the rest of the team, however, 
are unanimous in their vote for MAK's curry chicken.
  Mary Ann's food is influential and, I would say at times, even 
transcendent. I am confident, if MAK's menu had existed in earlier 
times, it could have changed the course of history as we know it. If 
this sustenance had been available in 1775, Founding Father Patrick 
Henry may have exclaimed, ``Give me Mary Ann's curry chicken or give me 
death!''
  Mary Ann goes to great lengths, in all seriousness, to prepare meals 
for those she loves. She gets the best and freshest ingredients. Some 
on my staff remember the day Mary Ann returned from her lunch break 
with a half dozen lobsters--the main course for a dinner prepared in 
honor of her son's birthday.
  Desiree Burritt, my immigration case worker, who also worked for 
Senators Biden and Kaufman before me, said:

       Mary Ann has always been our in-house chef, always there to 
     pull up a chair, quick to smile, laugh, and listen. MAK is 
     like a mother to all of us.

  Mary Ann may not know just how much she inspires and influences those 
around her. I have been moved to hear and witness the impression that 
she has made on my staff, on her friends, and her family.
  Terry Wright, who also previously worked for Senator Biden--a member 
of my Service Academy Selection Board--has known Mary Ann for many 
years. Terry said Mary Ann is ``generous with an absolute willingness 
to help anyone in any way she can. When she's your friend,'' Terry 
said, ``you have a friend for life.''
  Elena Sassaman, a newer member of my casework team, said:

       Mary Ann is one of the nicest and most thoughtful people 
     I've met both here, working in the Senate, and in everyday 
     life. MAK was one of the first people to include me in the 
     office family dynamic when I first started.

  Elena has developed a love for knitting, crocheting, and other crafts 
thanks to Mary Ann's encouragement and valued friendship.
  When I am not in DC, I am usually in my Wilmington office in 
Delaware, and we enjoy the opportunity to have lunch as a group with 
everybody on the Delaware staff. I love those lunches, listening to 
Mary Ann tell funny stories, share observations, even show photos of or 
brag about her grandkids.
  My dad, whom I miss dearly, was born in Boston, MA, himself, and Mary 
Ann, who never lost her remarkable Boston accent, has provided me a 
familiar and comforting presence whenever she speaks.
  I love her Massachusetts spirit, her soul, and her positive attitude. 
Mary Ann is a good and decent person and a great presence in our 
office. She is at the same time both a fixture and a breath of fresh 
air.
  Mary Ann's work in the Senate and her career as a chef shows us all 
the importance of working hard and embracing what you love, using your 
strengths to help your friends and neighbors and to better the country 
and community.
  Mary Ann said she would miss all aspects of working with us in the 
Senate. It has been such a big part of her life, I know. Mary Ann, I 
know you will also miss the comradery of your coworkers in the Delaware 
office.
  As a longtime chef, I am confident, Mary Ann, that you already have a 
recipe for retirement and will embrace the joy of not working. Your 
retirement will surely be filled with activities such as cooking, 
knitting, and outings with your friends Jill, Norma, Sue, and Tanya, 
and you will spend more time with your sons Michael and Terence, 
daughters-in-law Nell and Jennifer, and beloved grandchildren Cole, 
Mitch, Meredith, and Nolan, who all live right nearby, just over the 
line in Pennsylvania. Whether their Nan is joining them for dinner or 
attending a Unionville High School rowing event, I know you will be 
there in high spirits, prepared with a great story and an even better 
dessert.
  Mary Ann, I know you look forward to trips to Westborough, MA, and to 
spending holidays and warmer weekends with Terence, Jennifer, Meredith, 
and Nolan.
  Let me conclude by saying to Mary Ann, thank you for your years of 
service to the Senate, to our community, and to the people of the First 
State. You have been a valued member of my team, and I will close with 
a traditional Irish blessing:

     May there always be work for your hands to do.
     May your purse always hold a coin or two.
     May the sun always shine on your windowpane.
     May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain.
     May the hand of a friend be always near you.
     May God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.

  With that, Mary Ann, I offer you a fond farewell and a thanks to you 
for all you have done for Delaware and the Senate.
  Thank you.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Cassidy). The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.

[[Page S1569]]

  

  Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.