[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 18]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 23827-23828]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            HONORING THE MEMORY OF MAUREEN KEATING TSUCHIYA

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. NITA M. LOWEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, December 8, 2006

  Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the legacy of my 
constituent and good friend Maureen Keating Tsuchiya of Chappaqua, NY, 
an extraordinary community activist and advocate for the disabled.
  Maureen was born in Atkinson, Nebraska, the second of eight children 
of John and Dolores Keating. As a toddler, she survived a severe strain 
of polio. Her lifelong disability, which worsened over time, was a 
focus of her advocacy efforts on behalf of persons with physical 
challenges. With each cause she championed, she used an unstoppable 
blend of passion, energy, dignity, perseverance, forcefulness, honesty 
and wit to accomplish her goals.
  While in college in Minnesota, Maureen started a campaign to get the 
city of Minneapolis to lengthen the time of the green traffic lights so 
that she and other persons with

[[Page 23828]]

disabilities could cross the streets safely. Later, she worked 
tirelessly for the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act and 
attended the signing ceremony at the White House.
  After living in New York City and Tokyo, Maureen, her husband 
Takashi, and their daughter Hannah moved to Chappaqua in 1997. She 
quickly became involved in civic and political organizations, often 
accompanied by her young daughter to whom she was totally devoted. 
Maureen Keating Tsuchiya worked with Westchester Disabled on the Move 
on a voting rights lawsuit by testing polling places for their 
accessibility. She also spearheaded an effort to increase access to the 
Chappaqua train station.
  Maureen Keating Tsuchiya, although taken from us and her valiant 
causes prematurely, leaves a rich legacy of principled activism and 
involvement for all of us to emulate.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to join me in offering 
condolences to her husband, her daughter, and her entire family.

                          ____________________