[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 3]
[Senate]
[Pages 3930-3931]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            IN MEMORIAM OF BUZZ FITZGERALD AND JOEL ABROMSON

 Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I rise today with a heavy heart to 
pay tribute to two pillars of the Community of Maine, Buzz Fitzgerald 
and Joel Abromson. How can I describe what these two men meant to their 
beloved home State? These words of then President-elect John Fitzgerald 
Kennedy provide a start: ``And when, at some future date, the high 
court of history sits in judgment on each of us, recording whether in 
our brief span of service we fulfilled our responsibilities to the 
state, our success or failure, in whatever office we hold, will be 
measured by the answers to four questions: first, were we truly men of 
courage; second, were we truly men of judgment; third, were we truly 
men of integrity; and finally, were we truly men of dedication?''
  These words, first uttered by President-elect Kennedy when I was an 
elementary school student in Caribou, began to have real meaning for me 
when they were quoted regularly in speeches by my old boss and mentor, 
Bill Cohen, a gifted orator and, in many ways, a walking Bartlett's.
  But the full impact of Kennedy's glorious phrases struck me with 
special poignancy this year as I pondered the loss of two of Maine's 
leading citizens, two good friends, two wonderful men who were taken 
from us while still in their early 60's, at the height of their powers.
  One was born in St. John Plantation in far northern Maine, the other 
in Auburn. One moved when he was one year old, the other after college. 
But each became synonymous with his community, Buzz Fitzgerald with 
Bath, and Joe Abromson with Portland.
  Each contributed mightily to his company, to his community, to his

[[Page 3931]]

State. Each had a family that extended well beyond actual relatives to 
Mainers in all walks of life. Each made the lives of thousands of 
people better, and each did it without apparent effort and without a 
hint of self-righteousness.
  It is often said that if you want a job done well, find a busy man. 
Each of these remarkable individuals ran a company, each possessed a 
breathtaking list of civic and charitable credentials, and each 
demonstrated a willingness to embrace causes that would send many 
businessmen fleeing for cover.
  As I watch Buzz become a champion of reproductive rights for women, 
or Joel become a leading advocate for equal rights for gays and 
lesbians, I watched the embodiment of Kennedy's four defining 
characteristics: courage, judgment, integrity, dedication. Those four 
qualities were an immense aid to Joel as he championed a state law that 
would outlaw discrimination against Maine citizens who are gay or 
lesbian. Even though he did not prevail, he led his noble fight for gay 
rights with courage and integrity, in a manner that is to be commended.
  Indeed, I saw two men who could immerse themselves in the most 
emotional of issues, those causes that rubbed nerves raw in public 
debate, and I could see them emerge without enemies. Disagreeing 
without being disagreeable is a high art form, and these two men 
created a portrait of what informed public discourse should be.
  Buzz and Joel took their jobs and their commitments seriously, but 
never themselves. A rich store of humor, often self-deprecating, was 
never far from their lips. Successful people rarely lack charm, and 
each possessed it in abundance. Whether it was the union leadership 
hammering out a contract agreement with Buzz at the Bath Iron Works or 
Joel's colleagues on both sides of the aisle negotiating with him on a 
bill in the Maine Senate, friends and adversaries alike were drawn to 
both men because they invariably deserved to be trusted. It may be 
hackneyed to say their word was their bond. But it was. Always.
  A friend of mine who knew both men, but was not an intimate of 
either, tells a story that is illustrative. When my friend's father 
died in Florida, the first contribution made in his memory came from 
Joel Abromson. And when Buzzy's sister, Gayle Corey, died of a virulent 
form of cancer, Buzz did not wait to receive expressions of condolence; 
rather, he sent notes to Gayle's friends thanking them for befriending 
her. One does not easily forget gestures such as these, and there were 
thousands of others. In the final days and weeks of his life, Buzz 
called other cancer patients trying to cheer them up.
  Fortunately for all of us who benefited from knowing them, many Maine 
leaders, led by Governor King, participated in exceptionally moving 
public tributes to these two remarkable individuals while they were 
still alive to hear the accolades. Having spoken to both of them 
shortly before they died, I know that they were touched by the 
outpouring of appreciation for lives well lived.
  Losing public treasures like Joel and Buzz when they had so much more 
to give reminds us anew that life is unfair, as President Kennedy often 
noted. Fair or not, our state has lost two remarkable citizens and we 
will not see their like again soon.
  To me, they are the standard by which we should measure ourselves. 
Each of us will honor their memory most appropriately if we try to 
emulate the service they gave so generously to our State and its 
people.

                          ____________________