[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 9]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 12730]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                             MRS. RITA KAY

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. LEE M. ZELDIN

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 14, 2016

  Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay a special tribute to 
Mrs. Rita Kay, who recently turned 100 years old on September 4, 2016.
  Rita was born in Manhattan on September 4, 1916 to her parents Anna 
Squazzo Mullen and John Mullen. At 18 years old, Rita and her soon-to-
be husband, John James Kay, won the first Harvest Moon Ball dance 
contest for the Lindy Hop in Madison Square Garden. Four years later, 
in 1939, they would go on to become husband and wife. Shortly after 
getting married, they moved to Queens, NY and became the parents of two 
children: Patricia Ann Kay and John Andrew Kay.
  In 1982, Rita moved to Huntington, NY after living in Paumanack 
Village in Greenlawn, NY for 30 years. While at Paumanack Village, Rita 
taught line dancing from 1986, at the age of 70, until 2010, at the age 
of 94. Rita's classes drew many village and non-village residents alike 
who faithfully attended her Tuesday afternoon line dancing classes for 
over 20 years. Only a person with Rita's charisma and passion for life 
could manage to keep up this type of schedule and activity at such an 
advanced age.
  Rita, along with her family, which includes her five grandchildren 
and seven great-grandchildren, recently celebrated her 100th birthday. 
I would like to thank Rita for her years of dedication and service to 
her family and community. What she has managed to accomplish during her 
lifetime cannot be summarized in a few words; however it is important 
we honor these types of individuals as best we can. People like Rita 
are a rare breed and they help make not only our country, but our world 
a better place.

                          ____________________