[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 108 (Friday, June 24, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E670]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF RALPH GROENER

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. KURT SCHRADER

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, June 24, 2022

  Mr. SCHRADER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor and celebrate the 
life of Ralph Grolener. Ralph served Oregonians as a Clackamas County 
Commissioner, state legislator and was a leader in Oregon's labor 
movement with AFSCME, helping make Oregon one of the most union states 
in the country.
  Ralph was a Christmas baby, born Dec. 25, 1941, to George and Mary 
Groener in Oregon City, Oregon. He attended local schools and graduated 
from West Linn High School in 1960. He spent four years in the U.S. Air 
Force and was awarded the Airman's medal for heroism.
  In 1965 he married Sharon Rich, of Oregon City. Initially attending 
Portland Community College, they moved to Eugene where Ralph attended 
and graduated from the University of Oregon. While in college, Ralph 
worked part-time at a local Safeway, and became a member of the retail 
clerk's union. Upon graduation in 1969 he worked as a community 
organizer for the war on poverty, taking his first steps on a lifelong 
pathway fighting for the underprivileged and working families.
  Ralph was elected to the state legislature in 1972, where he served 
two terms in the Oregon House of Representatives. In 1973 Ralph was an 
original co-sponsor of the first Gay Rights Legislation to be 
introduced in the nation. He was also instrumental in the passage of SB 
100, Oregon's landmark land conservation legislation, as the bill's 
carrier on the House Floor. Ralph was then elected to the Clackamas 
County Board of Commissioners, where he served tirelessly for eight 
years advocating for children and senior citizens.
  In 1990 Ralph found his way back to the Capitol, where he served as a 
political coordinator and lobbyist for AFSCME for nearly three decades. 
One of Ralph's favorite bible passages was Matthew 25:40--Truly I say 
to you, to the extent that you did it for one of the least of these 
brothers or sisters of Mine, you did it for Me. It is not hard to see 
this principle guided him for over three decades fighting on behalf of 
working Oregonians.
  Ralph was a force of nature. He loved to talk. He could out-talk 
anyone, anytime, anywhere. A familiar sight and sound roaming the halls 
of the state capitol, he was rarely without his trademark smile or 
partner Mary Botkin. His son, Chris shared with me that he used to 
say--keep your chin up and never let them see you sweat. I never saw 
Ralph without his chin up. Ralph retired from AFSCME in 2018.
  Ralph's career was filled with dozens of awards and accomplishments:
  United States Air Force Airman's Medal, 1963; Oregon State Sheriffs 
Association Award of Valor--Three-time recipient; Outstanding Youth 
Leader of Clackamas County, 1972; Distinguished Service Award from the 
American Association of Retired Persons, 1972; One of the Outstanding 
Young Men of America, 1973 and 1975; Oregon's Outstanding Educator-
Statesman Award, 1975; Oregon League of Cities ``Friend of Cities 
Award, 2005; NW Senior and Disability Services Advocacy Award, 2018
  Ralph passed away on June 1, 2022, losing a dogged fight to cancer. 
He is survived by his wife, Sharon; daughter Hilary Groener; son Chris 
Groener; and granddaughter Cassidy Hedger and her husband, Corey 
Hedger. Ralph is also survived by hundreds of his union brothers and 
sisters, friends and colleagues from the political and legislative 
world. I mourn with them on his passing.

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