[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 41 (Tuesday, March 8, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E232]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      HONORING THE LIFE AND SERVICE OF LIEUTENANT PETER BLUME, JR.

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JOE COURTNEY

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, March 8, 2022

  Mr. COURTNEY. Madam Speaker, it is with profound sadness that I rise 
today in recognition of the loss of a champion of his community--Fire 
Police Lieutenant Peter Blume, Jr., of Vernon, Connecticut. Pete, as he 
was known, tragically left this world, still active in his service as a 
first responder, on March 2, 2022, at the age of 53. A guardian to his 
fellow service members, Lieutenant Pete Blume has served with the Fire 
Police company for the last six years. He was known for his 
particularly infectious degree of optimism and was eating to all.
  Born to Carolyn Bolk Blume and Peter Blume on December 24, 1968, in 
South Windsor, Pete was destined to live out his life as a source of 
energy within eastern Connecticut's communities. Upon graduating from 
South Windsor High, Pete went on to Eastern Connecticut State 
University where he achieved a degree in physical education in 1991. A 
true steward of the community, he devoted the next nearly 20 years of 
his life to teaching as an elementary school physical education teacher 
for Ashford and Union, Connecticut. He was deeply passionate toward the 
growth of our region's youngest generation, engaging with students as a 
youth program leader, the coach for the Ashford boys' basketball team 
and even by taking on the title of Chef Blume as a cook for Union's 
annual spaghetti dinner fundraiser.
  Amidst his earlier days in teaching, Pete fostered a relationship 
with the love of his life, Wendy, who he married in 1996. It was 
through their relationship that Pete's love for raising children 
transformed him into quite the family man, with the birth of their two 
children Allison and Timothy. Together, the family moved to Vernon, 
Connecticut where the children became an inspiration to Pete, 
catalyzing an entirely new era of community involvement. It was 
throughout this new era that Pete grew in his already known love for 
youth sports, coaching and volunteering for his kids' teams in Vernon 
Little League, Vernon Soccer and Vernon Basketball.
  Pete's involvement with the Town of Vernon did not stop with his 
coaching the next generation. As we all know, he took an interest in 
and joined the Vernon Fire Department as a fire police officer, 
becoming the man responsible for the safety of fellow first responders 
at the scene of an incident. Pete was the perfect man for the job--he 
was the kind of person who would give you the shut off his back if you 
needed it. As such, he was known for bringing an unmatched sense of 
diligence and care to the role, which he took incredibly seriously. For 
Pete, the safety of those who displayed similar care toward his own 
neighbors was paramount. He was most recently recognized for his 
diligence, becoming a lst Lieutenant with the Vernon Fire Police 
company which he again served with for more than six years.
  Madam Speaker, we ask firefighters and their families to do an 
enormously important job across our community, our state, and our 
nation. Standing by every day of the year at all hours, Pete, Vernon's 
``gentle giant,'' has given true example to the dedication that first 
responders arm themselves with while serving their respective 
communities. In Pete's case, he was also armed with a heart the size of 
Vernon. These brave men and women unquestionably deserve the very best 
we can offer as a small form of gratitude for their sacrifice. While we 
mourn the void left by Pete's loss, we find consolation in the memory 
he leaves behind. He is survived by his loving family, namely, his wife 
Wendy, who is also a teacher in Manchester. his two children Timothy 
and Allison Blume, his mother Carolyn Blume, his brother, David Blume, 
and his sister Kristin McCauley. While his family will undoubtedly 
carry the legwork in extending the reach of his memory, I ask that my 
colleagues join me in supporting this effort, thanking Pete for a life 
of service and setting his name and character further into stone.

                          ____________________