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Rep. Gallagher Honors Pat Finder-Stone

June 20, 2019

Yesterday, Rep. Gallagher honored a remarkable woman, Wisconsinite and community activist: Patricia Finder-Stone. Pat's passing will be mourned by many across Northeast Wisconsin, and her impact on our community will not soon be forgotten. You can watch the full video above or read the text of Rep. Gallagher's speech below.

"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to honor the life of a remarkable woman and a remarkable Wisconsinite, Patricia Finder-Stone. She was simply incredible. A wife, a mother, a grandmother, an educator, a veteran and a community activist, her life serves as an example of what it really means to be passionately involved in a community and committed to giving back.

During the Korean War, she left her nursing job in Chicago to serve her country in the Air Force where she proudly served at the Northeast Air Command in Greenland. And upon leaving the military she married her husband Mark and raised their four children in Northeast Wisconsin. Pat then returned to school and received her bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin Green Bay and her masters from UW Madison, graduating both times with honors. She practiced nursing throughout her life and spread her passion for nursing to others by teaching at schools around Wisconsin including Bellin College of Nursing and Northeast Wisconsin Technical College. She was well known and incredibly involved in the healthcare community and was a proud recipient of both the American Cancer Society's National St. George Award and the NWTC Teacher of the Year Award.

Beyond her nursing career, Pat was an active community volunteer sharing her time and talents to serve on the boards of multiple health advocacy groups in Northeast, Wisconsin. She worked with both Democrat and Republican leadership in Wisconsin on a number of health policy issues, including educating the public on the negative effects of tobacco and improving care for the aging population. She served as the President of the League of Women Voters of Greater Green Bay and sat on the State Board of the League of Women Voters. Pat's extraordinary life of service to her family, community, and country reminds us all of the importance of community engagement and civic responsibility.

Pat's passing will be mourned for many across Northeast Wisconsin and her impact on our community will not soon be forgotten, but my hope is that her life stands as a reminder of how important it is to be involved and how lucky we are to be Americans. There are a lot of people when you're a member of Congress, that come into your office. Some are angry with you, some are happy with you, but some really find a way past the political moment and find a way to touch your heart, and Pat was one of those people. My prayers and condolences go out to her family and to all the lives she touched. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.