[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 6]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 7527]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


 CELEBRATING THE 50TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY OF FRED AND ROSEMARIE GORTLER

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                             HON. ED PASTOR

                               of arizona

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 20, 2005

  Mr. PASTOR. Mr. Speaker, I rise before you today to draw attention to 
the 50th wedding anniversary of Fred and Rosemarie Gortler of 
Fredericksburg, Virginia. I first became acquainted with the Gortlers 
during Fred's two decades of serving here as a Democratic floor 
assistant in the House of Representatives and it is an honor to 
celebrate this loving couple's marital milestone.
  Fifty-one years ago, Fred Gortler and Rosemarie Battista met on a 
blind date in their hometown of Staten Island, New York, while Fred was 
home on leave from the Navy. At the time, Rosemarie was a nursing 
student at St. Mary's Hospital in Brooklyn, New York. They were engaged 
only four months later and were married on May 14, 1955.
  The couple remained in Staten Island for over 20 years before moving 
to their current home in Fredericksburg in 1977. Both Fred and 
Rosemarie have committed their careers to serving the public and their 
communities. Fred worked for 21 years in the New York City police 
force, in positions ranging from administrative to mounted police 
officer in Central Park. Shortly after relocating to Fredericksburg, he 
began his service in the U.S. House of Representatives where he stayed 
for over 20 years.
  Rosemarie was a practicing nurse at Saint Vincent's Hospital in 
Staten Island where she was also a member of the faculty, teaching 
psychiatric nursing. She returned to school to obtain her Masters in 
Counseling and currently works as a private counselor, specializing in 
individual, family, and substance abuse counseling. She has also co-
authored several children's books including Little Acts of Grace, Just 
Like Mary, and A Very Scary Time, written numerous newspaper and 
magazine articles, and contributed regularly to a mental health column 
in a local newspaper, titled Minding the Mind.
  The couple has been blessed with five children and 18 grandchildren, 
the newest addition to the family coming all the way from China. The 
Gortler family extends out from Virginia to Connecticut, Illinois, and 
Florida.
  The couple's 50 years of dedication to each other reflects that of 
their own parents, as both Fred and Rosemarie's parents also enjoyed 50 
years of marriage. In late April, the couple will be joined by many 
friends and family at the Chapel and the Officers' Club in Fort 
Belvoir, Virginia to toast their half-century of marriage. Their 
children and grandchildren will be proudly hosting the couple's 
anniversary celebration, where Fred and Rosemarie will renew their 
wedding vows. The celebration is being held early due to grandparent 
obligations--six grandchildren in three different states will be 
graduating in May.
  Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honoring and 
celebrating 50 years of marriage between Fred and Rosemarie Gortler, a 
union built on devotion and love for family. I have had the privilege 
of knowing this loving couple for many years, and have witnessed the 
strong sense of family values, self-sacrifice, and commitment to public 
service that defined their lives together. It is with great joy that I 
extend my congratulations to Fred and Rosemarie Gortler and their 
beloved family, and I wish them many more years of wedded happiness.

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