[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 60 (Thursday, April 6, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E295-E296]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           HONORING THE LIFE AND SERVICE OF MR. JOHN MORDASKY

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JOE COURTNEY

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 6, 2023

  Mr. COURTNEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mourn the loss of Mr. John 
Mordasky of Stafford, Connecticut. The Town of Stafford, State of 
Connecticut and our nation lost a giant whose example of public service 
citizenship will leave a gigantic footprint with his passing at age 97 
on April 1, 2023. John's amazing life could be the script of a 
Hollywood movie, given his courageous service as a decorated World War 
II combat veteran, Connecticut state representative, his lifelong 
vocation as an iconic New England dairy farmer, and his deep devotion 
to his beautiful family. Mr. Speaker, I had the honor to know John as a 
friend for 36 years and to serve with him in the Connecticut General 
Assembly for eight years. He will always stand out to me as the 
quintessential model of public servant who always put the public 
interest and the public good above petty, political or personal gain.

[[Page E296]]

  Born 1925 to Francis and Sophia Mordasky in Stafford, John, like many 
who have woven themselves into the American story, formed the strongest 
of roots out of his identity as a first generation American and eastern 
Connecticut native. The loyalty he discovered through this identity and 
from his parents' upbringing formed a ferocity within John not to be 
matched by many. He was tough as nails. At age 17, following the United 
States entry into World War II, John did not hesitate to enlist in the 
war effort and was at the forefront of the Allied effort to defend 
democracy. He was assigned to the US Army Air Corps and became a B29 
tail gunner--one the most dangerous, high-risk duties in the bomber 
fleet. John experienced intense combat defending his aircraft and crew 
in more than 22 frontline missions from direct enemy fire. John's 
planes crash landed twice during individual missions, fortunately on 
the reclaimed island of Iwo Jima in the final months of the Pacific 
campaign.
  Upon the conclusion of the War, John returned home to eastern 
Connecticut from half a world away. His devotion to serving his 
community did not end however when he hung up his uniform for the last 
time. In his immediate post-war life, he went back to school on the GI 
Bill and attained a bachelor's in animal sciences from the University 
of Connecticut's flagship College of Agriculture, where he also met the 
love of his life, Louise Rosemary ``Rosie'' Rossiter.
  Equipped with an education, John and Rosie found property back in 
Stafford and started Pinerise Dairy Farm. Together, their life in 
agriculture existed as a platform to launch broader involvement in the 
community. For John, he became an active member in the Connecticut 
agricultural community: from 4H, to the Connecticut Milk Producers 
Association, to his honorary membership in Future Farmers for America. 
John also notably served on Stafford's Board of Selectman and Zoning 
Board of Appeals. Each of these involvements were pursued as the two 
raised six children: Rose, Frances, David, Bill, John, and Maureen; and 
housed, at one point, more than 600 dairy cows.
  As if his impressive family-owned farm, an economic driver within the 
region, and local involvement were not enough, John still felt a higher 
calling to serving the public. In 1979, John successfully ran for a bid 
to represent the 52nd District in the Connecticut General Assembly as 
state representative. Maintaining his permanent job as the head of a 
full-scale dairy operation, John's pulse reflected that of the area. He 
performed this additional role with a herculean level of energy, 
literally commuting to and from Connecticut's State Capitol to make 
sure the farm's animals were attended to, for 22 years. During his 
tenure in the Capitol, he came to be a bipartisan leader on several 
committees including the Assembly's Finance, Revenue and Bonding 
Committee, as well as a well-respected colleague as the House chamber's 
Assistant Majority Leader. In 1996, John was recognized by the 
Connecticut Council of Small Towns as Legislator of the Year. Mr. 
Speaker, as a fellow recipient of this award in a separate year, who 
also had the privilege of working with State Representative Mordasky, I 
can attest that this recognition was not only well-placed, but also 
well deserved.
  Mr. Speaker, John was simply an amazing person and the brightest 
reflection of what eastern Connecticut has to offer to our country. A 
child of immigrants, John lived the American Dream and worked hard to 
serve the land from which he was born and raised. He will be remembered 
and missed dearly by his wife of 74 years, Rose, six children, the 
entire sprawling Mordasky Clan, as well as the entire northeastern 
Connecticut region. He should also be remembered by the nation. To that 
end, Mr. Speaker, now that this one farmer's worries are over, I ask 
that my colleagues join me in honoring John Mordasky and thank him for 
his honorable and distinguished life and contribution to his Nation.

                          ____________________