[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 1]
[House]
[Page 618]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            TRIBUTE TO FORMER CONGRESSMAN WILLIAM RATCHFORD

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. DeLAURO. It is with heavy heart that I rise today to pay tribute 
to the life of former Congressman William R. Ratchford, whom we lost 
earlier this year after a long and courageous battle with Parkinson's 
disease.
  I talked to many friends and colleagues of Bill in recent days, and 
the same description kept coming up. He was modest and charming and 
exactly who he appeared to be. One long-time friend called him ``the 
most fundamentally decent, unpretentious person.'' Another, former 
Senator Chris Dodd, reminded me of Bill's decency and great warmth. 
``He was wonderfully enthusiastic about other people's successes,'' 
Chris said, which is sadly atypical of people in our line of business.
  For that and so many other reasons, Bill was a role model to me and 
the rest of our delegation. He was a humble giant in Connecticut 
politics, well liked and respected by all, and he will be deeply missed 
by all those fortunate enough to have known him.
  When I came to represent much of the Naugatuck Valley in 2000, Bill 
personally took me town by town. He knew everyone and everyone knew 
him. There was a mutual respect and fondness there that I have always 
tried to live up to ever since. Bill just had that effect on people. He 
was funny, kind, and down to Earth. As a humble son of a hat factory 
worker and a teacher, he never forgot where he came from. He understood 
his constituents' needs and concerns because their concerns were his. 
He walked in their shoes.
  During 12 years in the State house, four as speaker, and three terms 
in the Congress, Bill focused on the needs of children and seniors, on 
improving public education, helping nontraditional and mid-career 
students go to college, and ensuring that all seniors could enjoy 
retirement with the health and dignity they deserve.
  More than anything, Bill tried to make a difference in everything he 
did. In doing so, he left an indelible mark on our State and this 
institution. I extend my deepest sympathies to his wife, Barbara, and 
their three children, Shaun, Scott, and Brian, and his grandchildren. 
He was an extraordinary individual, and he leaves a legacy to which we 
should all aspire.
  I yield to the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Courtney).
  Mr. COURTNEY. Thank you, Congresswoman DeLauro.
  Mr. Speaker, I just want to associate my remarks with Congresswoman 
DeLauro's eloquence. Bill Ratchford was a giant in Connecticut 
politics. He served as Speaker of the House in the State legislature. 
As a former State legislator myself, I saw firsthand the legacy that he 
left behind in terms of a civil but progressive agenda that he advanced 
in the State of Connecticut, which, as a Member of Congress for three 
terms, he continued that work, again, particularly focusing on the 
emerging issues of the aging in our country, which as a demographic is 
growing. He was really just someone with great vision in terms of the 
need to make sure that we had a society that was prepared to deal with 
those issues.
  Mr. Speaker, as we grapple with the challenge of civil discourse in 
our democracy, Bill Ratchford, in my opinion, is the perfect, almost 
iconic example of what a legislator and a public servant ought to be. 
He cared deeply about the issues that he campaigned and advocated for, 
but he also was someone who studiously respected his opposition and 
believed passionately in civil discourse and debate. Again, I think 
that legacy, probably above all, is the most powerful one that he 
leaves behind us; and, frankly, we would all do well to follow his 
outstanding example.

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