[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 7]
[Senate]
[Page 9635]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        A TRIBUTE TO MARY COPPER

 Mr. BIDEN. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to Mrs. 
Mary Copper, who passed away February 22, at the age of 55 in 
Wilmington, DE. A mother, wife, sister, activist, trailblazer, and 
trusted friend, Mary will be missed by the countless people whose lives 
she touched before her time on this Earth was cut short.
  Mary graduated from Wellesley College and the Boston University 
School of Law, and almost immediately began a rapid ascent that took 
her to the pinnacle of the legal field. Through her hard work and keen 
instincts, she quickly made herself known across Delaware as one of the 
hardest working and brightest female attorneys in the State's history. 
She dedicated 8 years to the DuPont Company before becoming the first 
female partner at Potter Anderson & Corroon LLP, where she was beloved 
by clients and coworkers alike.
  But perhaps the most indelible image of Mary is that of a 
philanthropist with an enormous heart. She never shied away from the 
opportunity to help others, and devoted countless hours to numerous 
charitable organizations throughout the State, volunteering, serving on 
boards, and giving every ounce of her being to the people who needed it 
the most.
  She was a founding member and past chair of the Advisory Committee of 
the Fund for Women of the Delaware Community Foundation. She also 
served as an enthusiastic member of the Delaware Bar Foundation and a 
helpful supporter of the Democratic Party within Delaware. Her absence 
will be sorely felt by all who knew her, but the vast reach of her acts 
of charity and kindness will continue to touch people's lives for years 
to come.
  My thoughts and prayers are with Mary's family, her husband William, 
and daughters Mary (Lucy) and Ellen. 

                          ____________________