Tribute to Sylvia Clark

TRIBUTE TO SYLVIA CLARK-HON. DIANA DeGETTE (Extensions of Remarks - March 02, 2004)

HON. DIANA DeGETTE
OF COLORADO
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
TUESDAY, MARCH 2, 2004

Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize the extraordinary life and accomplishments of a remarkable woman in Colorado. It is both fitting and proper that we recognize Sylvia Clark for her impressive record of civic leadership and invaluable service.

Sylvia was a dear friend and a stalwart leader who will be greatly missed. She lived her life on the front lines of progress and proved to be a powerful force in transforming the landscape of our State. Her indomitable spirit sustained her through many challenges and molded a life of genuine accomplishment.

Sylvia was born in St. Anthony, Idaho, and spent a good portion of her youth in Honduras where she saw first hand the impact of poverty on women and children. She studied nursing at Johns Hopkins University and went on to become a registered nurse, a certified nurse midwife, a certified obstetrics and gynecology nurse, and earned a master's degree in public administration. Sylvia came of age professionally at the time women were gaining their rights to forms of birth control previously considered illegal. She began an eminent career at Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains in 1967 and went on to become executive director where she guided the organization through turbulent political times and succeeded in building a preeminent reproductive health care agency, providing services to over 100,000 clients through 35 health centers in six States.

No one has been more courageous and unrelenting in the struggle to make sure that every pregnancy is planned, that every child is wanted, and that every woman is assured access to reproductive health care. Sylvia's life is a testament to the principle that government should not interfere in the health choices of women. She was dedicated to the proposition that all women should be given the support they need to make wise decisions about their families. Despite numerous attempts to chip away at reproductive rights and health care services in Colorado, Sylvia never faltered and labored tirelessly to ensure that family planning practices in our State remain both respectful and voluntary. For these efforts, Sylvia was honored by the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice with the Alex Luken Faith and Freedom Award and the Anti-Defamation League's Civil Rights Award.

We are grateful for Sylvia's leadership in sustaining an ethic of family planning in our State and Nation. She was a fervent defender of rights that have deep roots in our democracy and our tradition of civil liberties. I believe Sylvia's message to us would be that we must be ever vigilant and continue the fight for the kind of America which respects these rights.

Sylvia Clark lived a life of meaning and one that is rich in consequence. It is the character and deeds of Sylvia Clark, and all Americans like her, which distinguish us as a people. Truly, we are all diminished by the passing of this remarkable woman. Please join me in paying tribute to the life of Sylvia Clark, a distinguished citizen. It is the values, leadership, and commitment she exhibited during her life that serve to build a better future for all Americans.