[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Page 15176]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     IN MEMORY OF MARCIA LIEBERMAN

  Mr. DODD. Mr. President, I rise to speak in memory of Marcia 
Lieberman, who passed away on June 26 at the age of 90.
  Marcia was the mother of my dear friend and our colleague, Joe 
Lieberman, with whom I have had the pleasure of serving in this body 
for 16 years. She was born in 1914, lived through the Depression, and 
ran her husbands business when he left to serve in World War II. She 
was active in senior centers and Connecticut Jewish groups. She 
campaigned with her son many times and served as his liaison to 
seniors. Her commitment to her community was constant and selfless. But 
biographical information alone cannot adequately describe this 
remarkable woman. Her legacy is an entire life lived well, a long 
string of simple moments of kindness and love.
  It is possible to get a glimpse of that character in the anecdotes 
that have been told about her--the care packages to reporters, the 
quips to Larry King, and the matchmaking services offered to a 
traveling reporter. But it is more clearly illuminated in the warm 
memories of those of us who knew her, which were echoed in the 
beautiful eulogies that Senator Lieberman and his children gave on 
Tuesday of this week at her funeral service.
  As they so eloquently said, and as all her friends knew, Marcia 
strongly believed in the importance of family and was openly warm and 
caring with everyone she met. During Marcia's funeral service, the 
rabbi asked how many people in the audience believed they were her 
friend. Everyone raised their hand. He then asked who believed they 
were one of her best friends. Again, everyone raised their hand. She 
had an uncanny ability to make people feel close to her. This quality, 
among others, put people at ease and gave them confidence in 
themselves.
  Marcias loving nature often took the form of great strength and 
courage. She insisted that the members of her family take care of each 
other and live ethically. She was witty and saw the joy and humor in 
life until the very end. Even in the last few weeks of her life, she 
maintained her well-known strength and resilience, which helped her 
family through this difficult time.
  She was a beautiful person, whose humor, kindness, and love were 
infectious for those who met her. She will be dearly missed.
  I offer my deepest condolences to Joe, his sisters Rietta and Ellen, 
the whole Lieberman family, and to the countless others whose lives 
were enriched by Marcia Lieberman.

                          ____________________