[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 124 (Tuesday, July 30, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Page S5579]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      REMEMBERING SHARON NORDGREN

 Mrs. SHAHEEN. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to 
Sharon Nordgren and recognize a longtime public servant who gave so 
much to the Granite State.
  Sharon spent her younger years in Chicago, IL and St. Louis Park, MN, 
before attending the University of Minnesota. She was an extremely 
active member of the campus community, a hint at her future calling as 
a dedicated local leader and regular presence in New Hampshire's Upper 
Valley. Sharon played clarinet in the band, organized the school's 
first golf team, and participated in the local chapter of a youth 
development group called Camp Fire. She also met her husband Richard in 
college. They wed in 1965 and planted roots in Hanover, NH 7 years 
later.
  As a Hanover resident, Sharon almost immediately immersed herself in 
local affairs and started making enduring connections with others 
around town and across the region. She helped mobilize and empower her 
fellow citizens as part of the League of Women Voters in the 1970s. In 
the 1980s, Sharon won a seat on the Hanover Selectboard and made 
history as the first chairwoman of that elected body. She developed 
relationships with local leaders as well as Hanover-based institutions 
like Dartmouth College and Mary Hitchcock Memorial Hospital. Sharon 
built on this strong foundation of experience and knowledge as a member 
of the New Hampshire House of Representatives. She was first elected to 
the position in 1988, and her constituents voted to send her to the 
State capital as their State representative for 18 consecutive terms.
  At the State House, Sharon instantly earned the respect and 
admiration of her peers. She had a warmth, integrity, work ethic, and 
quick wit that enabled her to make fast and lasting friends on both 
sides of the aisle in New Hampshire's citizen legislature. Her kindness 
and sense of humor were especially treasured by her colleagues on the 
House Finance Committee, and she could always be counted on to give 
thoughtful advice or lighten the mood with a soft-spoken joke as they 
worked long hours together to craft a State budget every 2 years. In 
addition to her expertise on State finances, Sharon was also a 
passionate advocate for affordable healthcare, reproductive rights, 
sensible gun regulations, and robust funding of public education. She 
even served as deputy Democratic leader from 1998-2004.
  Sharon sadly passed away earlier this year, and her absence in just 
the past 5 months has been hard to miss in her hometown of Hanover, as 
well as our State capital of Concord. Sharon's accomplishments as a 
long-serving State legislator include the many State budgets she helped 
to write, the many bills she helped to pass, and the many issues she 
helped to elevate in our public discourse. As an experienced 
legislative leader, she could be formidable without being hostile and 
thorough without losing sight of the big picture; yet Sharon's legacy 
must also include the many people who crossed her path and came away 
with a smile and a new perspective on things. She was a guiding force 
for so many of her colleagues, and they will continue to look to her 
example of a devoted public servant and a determined advocate for the 
best interests of her constituents.
  Sharon's family--including husband Richard, son Rob, and daughter 
Krisy--as well as her many friends will gather this month for a 
celebration of life, and they will undoubtedly share and cherish many 
fond memories of her. I will be with them in spirit as they reflect on 
the life of this good and generous woman.

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