BURLINGTON, VT – Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) released the following statement on the passing of Vermont State Senator Richard “Dick” Mazza:

“For over forty years, Dick Mazza served our state with the values that shaped his life: he was practical, driven by cooperation and finding common ground, and always focused on Vermont. His passing is profoundly sad, not only because he was a champion who shaped our state for the better but because he changed so many lives through his friendship.

“No one in the past forty years has contributed more to the Vermont General Assembly than Dick Mazza. When he spoke, Governors listened. When he spoke, his colleagues knew his was the generous and practical voice of everyday Vermonters.

“Whether in the day-to-day operations of the General Store or a debate in the General Assembly, he was driven by a deeply embedded respect for his community and the Vermonters he served.

“Margaret and I extend our condolences to Dolly, Mike, Melissa, and the Mazza family, and the friends and loved ones in Dick’s life.

“Leaders—and friends—like Dick Mazza, are special, and Vermont is lucky to have had him.”

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