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“TRIBUTE TO CLARE M. ALBOM” mentioning the U.S. Dept of State was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E771 on April 30, 2008.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
TRIBUTE TO CLARE M. ALBOM
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HON. JOE COURTNEY
of connecticut
in the house of representatives
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Mr. COURTNEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the life of Clare M. Albom a consummate leader in physical education, safety, senior and women's issues in eastern Connecticut. On April 26, 2008, Clare passed away.
Clare was born in Ellington, Connecticut, on June 17, 1919. She attended Rockville High School and subsequently earned a B.A. in health, physical education and recreation from Arnold College in New Haven. After graduation, Clare moved to Pasadena, California, and assumed a position with the Aerojet Engineering Corporation, drafting blue prints for jet engines. After 2 years in Pasadena, Clare and her husband, Milton, returned to Rockville to raise a family.
Following the birth of her three children and the untimely death of her beloved husband, she began teaching with her alma mater, Rockville High School. For 15 years, she remained dedicated to girls' physical education at Rockville High School, teaching sports curriculum and forming the Girls' Athletic Activities Club (GAAC). The GAAC, which was a huge success, offered girls in the community an unprecedented opportunity to explore interests in individual and team sports. In 1971, the GAAC received national accolades, when the program was recognized as the most outstanding in the U.S.
Over the course of her career, Clare worked with the Connecticut State Department of Education, evaluating the quality of physical education programs across the State and conducting teacher workshops. Highlights included serving as a master bowling clinician for the Lifetime Sports Education Project and conducting bowling workshops for special education teachers withthe acclaimed Kennedy Institute. Her work in physical education has also been solidified in physical education textbooks and national manuals.
In addition to her work in the physical education community, Clare was a passionate advocate for children's safety. Between 1970 and 1979, she served as the supervisor of Health, Elementary and Girls' Physical Education in the Vernon school system. In 1974, she developed a safety education program which was recognized at the State level by the Connecticut Safety Commission. In 1978, she produced a film on bus safety, ``Alert and Alive,'' which also received State recognition by the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles and national recognition at the National Highway Transportation Convention in Washington, D.C.
After retiring, Clare was asked by the Vernon mayor, Marie Herbst, to head up the Vernon Senior Center, which at the time was a very small program. Clare transformed the center into one of the most successful municipal senior centers in Connecticut. The center sponsored group trips in the U.S. and abroad, started ``The Golden Steppers'' dance program, a golf league, a bridge club, holiday events--the list goes on. Even more importantly, the center became an advocate in Vernon, the State capital, and Washington, DC, to create innovative assistance for seniors--ConnPACE, circuit breaks property tax relief and improvements to Social Security and Medicare.
As a State Representative for the town of Vernon I had the privilege to know and work with Clare for the last 22 years. She was a tireless advocate for the center, but even more importantly, for her progressive, compassionate vision of the Vernon community.
Madam Speaker, Clare lived an extraordinary life. Her advocacy and leadership roles in often overlooked issues, including girls' physical education, children's safety and opportunities for senior citizens, improved the lives of our friends and neighbors in Connecticut and across the Nation, and would change the status quo for future generations. I ask my colleagues to join with me and my constituents in recognizing her life and legacy and offering condolences to her family.
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