[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 143 (Monday, September 16, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E900]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          COMMEMORATING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF CHARLES PRIORE

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. TIMOTHY M. KENNEDY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, September 16, 2024

  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to commemorate the life and legacy 
of a fallen hero and pillar of the Western New York community--Charles 
``Chuck'' Priore.
  Born in Buffalo, New York on December 15, 1975, Chuck was the 
youngest of three boys born to Charley and Laurie Priore. After 
graduating from Bishop Timon High School in 1994, Chuck entered the 
workforce and ultimately landed a job as a hazardous materials 
specialist with EarthTech.
  While working for EarthTech, Chuck traveled throughout the Midwest 
and Mid-Atlantic. In the weeks leading up to the September 11th terror 
attacks, Chuck and his co-workers were assigned to a job in Queens. 
When the attacks occurred, his team was redirected from their job site 
to the World Trade Center where they worked in 24-hour continuous 
shifts cleaning up debris from the fallen towers. His life and the 
lives of his future wife and children were forever changed by the time 
he spent doing his job, serving his country, and answering the call in 
the days following the attacks.
  In the months following, Chuck returned home to Buffalo and joined 
Laborers' Union Local 210. In 2008, two years after the birth of his 
son, Kevin, he became a Corrections Officer with the Erie County 
Sheriff's Office and served in that role until 2021.
  In the fall of 2009, Chuck met his now-wife, Cate Flanagan, at the 
Buffalo Irish Center. They later moved into the same neighborhood that 
Chuck grew up in to start their lives together and raise a family. On 
June 25, 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Chuck was diagnosed with 
bladder cancer linked to his time at the World Trade Center after the 
9/11 attacks. He underwent treatment and surgery but passed away on 
August 17, 2024, after being admitted to hospice care.
  Chuck's passing leaves behind his beloved wife Cate, and two 
children, Kevin and Ciara who now face life without him. His sacrifice 
is a solemn reminder of the lasting impact of dedicated service in the 
face of tragedy. As we remember Charles ``Chuck'' Priore we grieve the 
loss of a beloved friend and dedicated public servant and find solace 
in knowing that his legacy lives on.

                          ____________________