Grassley pays tribute to former staffer

U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) today issued a statement paying tribute to Pete Conroy of Mason City, a former staffer who died yesterday at the age of 85.  I looked for an obituary on the Mason City Globe-Gazette's website, but found none. Read Grassley's statement below.

“Pete Conroy was the first person I hired after being elected to Congress in 1974.  He and I drove to Washington together to get to work, and for the next 35 years Pete was a trusted advisor, loyal Iowan, persuasive advocate, and true friend. 

“Coming from Mason City where Pete had taught school and run a real estate agency, Pete led my congressional staff and helped to establish the Special Committee on Aging in the U.S. House of Representatives before being named to the White House Conference on Aging in 1981, and subsequent related federal positions.  Pete developed a specialty in aging issues and earned respect in his field.

“Pete’s appetite for public policy and political debates didn’t stop there, though.  Far from it.  Pete Conroy had a studied view and provocative and valuable perspective on almost any question.  You couldn’t find a more interesting or generous person to visit with about what he either had read or been involved with as a public servant.  After retiring from the federal government, Pete lived for awhile along the Rappahannock River in Virginia before returning home to Mason City.

“Pete Conroy was one of a kind.  He lived his life with a lot of gusto and tremendous spirit, and I’ll miss him.”