Crabtree Kittle House, Sept. 12, 2009
I am honored to be with all of you here today and speak for a few minutes about my dear friend and colleague in government, Marion Sinek. Nicole and Ron, thank you for giving me this opportunity to share some remembrances of your mother. She was so proud of you and your families. Marion and I would often compare notes – her seven grandchildren and my eight.
As I look out over this gathering, I am sure that so many of you were as fortunate as I was – to have the gift of Marion’s wise counsel, time and time again. Marion never made a fuss or tried to show off. She would pull you aside at a meeting, or call you with a suggestion or an idea, and pretty soon, you’d not only be signed on, but actually thinking it was your idea from the start. As my good friend Richard Laster wrote in his warm remembrance of Marion in New Castle NOW.org, that’s how he was persuaded to join Marion on the New Castle Town Board. And that’s how so many of us in this room, in government or other types of community service, achieved some of our successes – Marion’s gentle but persistent persuasion, guidance and mentoring.
This afternoon’s gathering truly is a celebration of her extraordinary life - Marion was born in Berlin and came to the United States shortly before World War II. She attended Forest Hills High School and Syracuse University on a full scholarship. After graduate work at the London School of Economics, she worked for Radio Free Europe and the UN Association – USA in NY. All that in itself would make for a distinguished life, but that was only the beginning for Marion.
Marion “worked her way up to local government from the U.N.”
Most of us here got to know and work with Marion after that, beginning in the late 1980s, when she served as president of the New York State League of Women Voters, or through the 1990s when she served eight years on the New Castle Town Board, and then in her four years as Town Supervisor starting in 2000.
She herself told a New York Times reporter in an interview in 2000, “I like to say I worked my way up to local government from the U.N., and it isn’t totally facetious. I think you can have far greater impact at the local level as an individual.” And as we all know, Marion not only had an impact, she was in fact the fabric of this great community.
The year 2000 was an exciting time for the Town of New Castle. As you might remember, that was the year that a couple leaving Washington, D.C., decided to buy a home in Chappaqua, N.Y. That one event landed Town Supervisor Marion Sinek an invitation to be a guest on the Larry King Live show. While that would make most of us very nervous, Marion was her unflappable self.
When Larry King, in his most urbane voice, introduced her, he said, “She is the Town Supervisor for New Castle, N.Y., And Chappaqua is within . . . is New Castle the county, Marion?”
Well, Marion, using all the diplomacy and skill of her many years in the League of Women Voters, calmly responded, “New Castle is the town. Chappaqua is a hamlet in the town.” And when Larry King tried to get a little uppity, Marion again kindly educated him, “A hamlet with a school district and a Post Office.”
And then King persisted – “will the Welcome Wagon come visit” the new town residents? Marion again had the perfect answer. After confirming that indeed one Hillary and Bill Clinton had registered to vote, she told Larry that while the Town didn’t have a Welcome Wagon, she had in fact “sent them a new residents’ packet, which every new resident gets.”
Speaking of a warm welcome from the Town of New Castle, exactly two years after Marion’s appearance on Larry King Live, I learned that because of the reapportionment of Congressional Districts, I once again was going to represent the Town of New Castle. New Castle had been part of my original district, from 1988 until 1992, but then for 10 years, I instead had been “moved south” in reapportionment into parts of New York City, as well as southern Westchester. Well, Marion was one of the first to call me – with sound advice and generous offers of help.
Sadly, my returning to New Castle in 2002 wasn’t big enough news to get Marion another invitation to appear on Larry King Live, but that didn’t matter to her. Marion herself hosted a lovely “Welcome Back” party for me. No, New Castle still didn’t have a Welcome Wagon per se and Marion, as the Town Supervisor, didn’t have the time to bake the cookies herself. Instead, exhibiting her typical elegant and gracious hospitality, she contacted the best caterer in town and we all had a delightful time as I re-connected with my good friends in New Castle.
“I was always wiser for Marion’s counsel.”
I know that others have fond memories of Marion Sinek that they also want to share with us. Let me conclude with two observations. I have been so fortunate to work with many talented, smart and totally dedicated women – and some good men too- in government. And what I have learned over the years is that many of us honed our skills from one of several excellent training routes – either PTA president, as I and others have done while we were raising our children, or through the League of Women Voters, as Marion did, not only exerting her leadership with the local chapter, but serving as State President. But throughout her decades of community and public service, Marion was a standout, because of her intelligence, enthusiasm, and commitment to hard work. Whether I asked her advice about first responder communications equipment for the Town of New Castle or voting machines and election laws for all of us in New York State, I was always wiser for Marion’s counsel.
I thought of Marion again yesterday, on September 11, as our nation and our community observed the first federally-designated National Day of Service and Remembrance – Marion was the epitome of public service. Her selfless dedication and hard work, day in and day out, to improve the lives of her neighbors is truly an inspiration for all of us.
Thank you.
And now I have the honor of introducing another of Marion’s great admirers, my friend and constituent, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.
Photo courtesy of John Ehrlich
Copyright 2012 NewCastleNOW.org