[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 3]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 3316]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  IN RECOGNITION OF MARY MARRARA, SCRANTON UNICO'S UNICAN OF THE YEAR

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. MATT CARTWRIGHT

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, March 1, 2017

  Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mary Marrara, who 
will be honored as Unican of the Year on March 4, 2017 during the 
annual Scranton UNICO banquet. Each year UNICO honors a member that 
puts Service above self. Mary has a lifetime record of service to the 
Scranton community.
  Mary was born and raised in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania. She 
attended school in the Philadelphia area, and she started her career as 
a dental manager there. In 1970, she and her husband Phil moved to 
Scranton. Mary and Phil own P & M Associates, Inc. The company was one 
of the first to offer cabinet refacing with a major national department 
store. They have received every top award for over 25 years for 
customer service and installations. Mary was part of the team in 
Chicago that created the Quality Every Day program, which set the 
standard for the national installation. Currently, they work with major 
retailers and sell and install kitchens on their own. Mary also owned 
and operated an ice cream shop, The Mary Go Round, which included The 
Floral Corner with her sister Fran.
  In her 47 years of living in northeastern Pennsylvania Mary has 
served in, helped, and advised a wide array of area organizations. One 
of the first charities Mary became involved with was St. Joseph's 
Center, which helps individuals with intellectual disabilities or 
developmental delays, pregnant women, young families, couples hoping to 
adopt, and people who require outpatient therapy. Currently, Mary 
serves on several boards of The Wright Center and co-chairs the 
Wonderful Women Program and the Wright Center Health Fair. She also 
serves on the boards of the American Red Cross, the NEPA Philharmonic 
League, LaFesta Italiana, and the UNICO Scranton chapter. She is a 
committee member of the Jim Minicozzi 5K Race, the Jermyn Lions Club, 
and she serves on the advisory boards for Meals on Wheels and the 
Scranton Cultural Center.
  It is an honor to recognize Mary Marrara for receiving the Unican of 
the Year Award from Scranton UNICO. I am grateful for her commitment to 
the citizens of northeastern Pennsylvania. I hope that she will 
continue to work for the welfare of her neighbors and the improvement 
of her community.

                          ____________________