[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 19]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 25716]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




           IN RECOGNITION OF MARY SHIRAH UPON HER RETIREMENT

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JEFF MILLER

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, October 26, 2009

  Mr. MILLER of Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Ms. 
Mary Shirah, a Northwest Florida community leader who is retiring after 
fifteen years of public service as the Director of the Pregnancy 
Resource Center in Milton, Florida. Mary spent her career serving 
others, and I am proud to honor her dedication and service.
  Born in 1927, Mary Shirah was a Navy wife. She married her husband, 
Henry, in 1946, and was married for 62 years until her husband passed 
away last year. Her family eventually settled in the Pensacola, Florida 
area, and found a home in the Pea Ridge community. In 1968, Mary went 
to work for Tupperware where a co-worker suggested that she volunteer 
at the Alpha Center in Pensacola, a resource center for pregnant women.
  After working with the Alpha Center and encouraging her Women's 
Ministry Group at her church to participate, Mary decided to 
investigate the need for a similar center in Santa Rosa County. She 
went on to join the committee to find a director for the center and 
after much searching, the committee chose Mary to serve as the 
Executive Director. The Pregnancy Resource Center of Milton opened on 
March 20, 1995. Until her retirement, Mary has served as the center's 
sole executive director. Under her leadership, the PRC serves an 
average of 300 families each year.
  Madam Speaker, on behalf of the United States Congress, I am honored 
to recognize Mary Shirah for her service to Northwest Florida. Mary has 
worked tirelessly on behalf of the women of Santa Rosa County for the 
last 15 years. My wife Vicki and I wish all the best for her and her 
family, including sons Henry, Richard, and John, and her six 
grandchildren, as they embark on this next journey in their lives.

                          ____________________