[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 1]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 761]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  HONORING JACQUELINE MONTEIRO DACOSTA

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. PATRICK J. KENNEDY

                            of rhode island

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, January 23, 2008

  Mr. KENNEDY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to express my sympathies to 
a wonderful Rhode Island family who has lost a devoted loved one named 
Jacqueline Monteiro Dacosta and to briefly share with you the impact 
she had on so many lives just by being kind.
  Jackie was a loving mother, sister and daughter who always exuded a 
sense of comfort to all. That's why she was perfect for her job as a 
constituent case worker in my district office in Rhode Island. For the 
past 11 years she reached out to countless people who sought her advice 
and help on a multitude of issues and she always put them at ease while 
they told her their life problems. She reassured them--people she had 
just met--that she would do what she could to help, and then she did. I 
have a file of letters in my office from people who wrote to me just to 
praise Jackie for her hard work and more than that, to recognize her 
kindness.
  Her sudden passing took us all by surprise. We knew instantly our 
office would never be the same without her presence, her funny stories, 
her smile. When thousands showed up for her wake and funeral to 
celebrate her life, it was such a testament to how truly loved she was 
in the community. No one had seen anything like it. Her family has been 
overwhelmed with an outpouring of support and sympathy from all over 
the state.
  On my next trip to Cape Verde, her family members and I will plant a 
tree in Jackie's memory. Her spirit on earth will be forever surrounded 
by the unspoiled beauty of her homeland and the sounds of the island 
music she loved so much. We will never forget Jackie and her special 
qualities that touched so many lives and made life that much better.
  We join Jackie's parents, Jose and Adelisa Monteiro; her children 
Stephanie and Justin and her siblings, Filomena, Osvaldo and Jose Jr. 
in continuing to honor Jackie's memory and her joyous spirit.

                          ____________________