[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 163 (Friday, October 3, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Page S6932]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         REMEMBERING SUE HECHT

  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. President, I rise today to honor the life 
and legacy of Sue Hecht, a distinguished public servant, trailblazer, 
and protector, from Frederick, MD, who passed away on September 23, 
2025.
  Born in Takoma Park on December 7, 1947, Sue devoted her life to 
public service and community betterment. She was a proud graduate of 
Hood College and later earned her M.B.A. from Frostburg State 
University. Before entering elected office, she worked as a freelance 
writer, a program specialist with the Frederick Job Training Agency, 
and most notably as the executive director of Heartly House, Inc., a 
nonprofit dedicated to supporting victims of domestic violence. These 
early roles shaped her lifelong commitment to giving voice to the 
vulnerable and building systems of care.
  Sue was first elected to the Maryland House of Delegates in 1994 
where we served together briefly. She was reelected to her position in 
1998. During her time in the statehouse, she served on numerous 
committees, including appropriations. In her second term, she was 
appointed as deputy majority whip--a testament to her skill and her 
initiative. Sue was well known in Annapolis and back home in Frederick 
for her leadership, compassion, and steadfast support of her 
colleagues.
  Sue also served as a leader among women legislators, rising to become 
president of the Women Legislators of Maryland. She was deeply 
committed to ensuring that women's voices were represented in every 
policy discussion and that issues affecting families, from childcare to 
healthcare to workplace fairness, received the attention they deserved.
  In her leadership roles with Heartly House and the house of 
delegates, Sue fiercely fought for better resources for her 
constituents and did so with grace and humility. She held numerous 
positions with a variety of organizations including the Maryland 
Commission for Women, the Frederick County Affordable Housing 
Commission, the Family Violence Council, the Frederick County 
Consortium of Human Service Providers, and the Maryland Network Against 
Domestic Violence. Her contributions were widely recognized, earning 
her honors such as the Dorothy Beatty Memorial Award from the Women's 
Law Center of Maryland, recognition as one of Maryland's Top 100 Women, 
and the Consumer Legislator of the Year Award from the Maryland 
Consumer Rights Coalition.
  Above all, Sue will be remembered as a mother, a wife, a friend, and 
an inspiration. She is survived by her daughter Shannon Aleshire, who 
followed in her footsteps of public service as the CEO of the Mental 
Health Association of Frederick County.
  Maryland has lost a fierce advocate for the most vulnerable among us. 
Sue was a legislator of impact, a leader of courage, and a neighbor 
whose legacy will endure in Frederick, across Maryland, and beyond. I 
ask my colleagues to join me in extending condolences to Sue's family 
and in honoring the indelible impact she made in Frederick County and 
across Maryland.

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