[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 148 (Wednesday, September 14, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E930]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        HONORING THE LIFE OF MARGARET MICHAEL DEBRANSKI KELHART

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. CONNIE CONWAY

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 14, 2022

  Ms. CONWAY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Margaret 
``Megan'' Michael Debranski Kelhart. Born on December 2, 1975, in 
Norfolk, Virginia, Megan peacefully entered the arms of our Lord on 
August 19, 2022. She was a proud and passionate mother, charismatic 
leader, staunch advocate of public service, and a resolute supporter of 
crucial public institutions and community members in need.
  In 1994, Megan graduated from Lakeland High School, where she was an 
outstanding student and a standout tennis player on the State Champion 
Tennis Team. She was also a cheerleader, school band member, and prom 
queen. Megan later studied political science at Virginia Tech, where 
she was an active member of the Alpha Chi Omega sorority, and went on 
to earn her Master of Science degree in natural resources.
  In 2001, while working in the United States Senate, Megan met her 
husband Matthew while playing in the Senate summer softball league. The 
pair married on October 25. 2003, and spent the next 18 and a half 
years traveling the world together, sharing a love of college football, 
European travel and culture, and Italian wine.
  In 2009, Megan and her husband welcomed their son, Matteson Michael 
Donnan Kelhart. Matteson was Megan's world--while Megan was a tireless 
professional and truly remarkable friend and wife, it was as a mother 
that her grace and selflessness were most prominently displayed. Megan 
passed on to Matteson her passion for reading, her fanatical dedication 
to her Virginia Tech Hokies, her love of travel, and her unwavering 
loyalty and integrity.
  Megan, who selflessly answered a call to service at the United States 
Senate, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Bureau of 
Reclamation, worked with nearly every congressional office. This body 
owes a debt of gratitude to her passion for policy and her unyielding 
dedication to public service.
  She is survived by her loving husband Matthew Joseph Kelhart; their 
son, Matteson; her parents, Dr. Michael Debranski and Margaret 
Debranski of Suffolk, VA; her grandmother Margaret Beamon of Suffolk, 
VA; her father-in-law and his wife, Joseph and Lily Kelhart of 
Bethlehem, PA; her mother-in-law and her husband, Terri and Joseph 
Costa of Perkasie, PA; and other loved ones.
  Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the life of 
Margaret ``Megan'' Michael Debranski Kelhart. Her service and 
contributions to the Department of the Interior and the United States 
Congress will long be remembered.

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