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Maryland Rep. Elijah E. Cummings is remembered across the nation as a powerful orator and civil rights activist, and is missed by those who knew him personally.
San Marcos City Councilmember Mark Rockeymoore, whose sister was married to the late Congressman, said the time he spent with Cummings was a blessing. Cummings passed away on Oct. 17 from complications of longstanding health problems, reports the Associated Press.
“He will be missed greatly by all who knew him personally and many who knew of him,” Rockeymoore said in a statement. “His words and deeds mark him as a truly great man and it was my honor to know and love him.”
Rockeymoore said he first met Cummings at his sister’s — Maya Rockeymoore Cummings — doctoral graduation from Purdue University.
“Over the years, he became a fixture in our lives as my sister’s life partner and then husband in 2008,” Rockeymoore said.
The Congressman was always accessible, according to Rockeymoore.
“When I ran for office in 2018, he asked me what my platform was and approved,” Rockeymoore said. “He told me to always listen to the people and you can’t go wrong. When I won office in December of (2018) after a runoff, he told me again to always listen to the people and do their will. He also said he was proud of me and he was confident in my ability to stand for the city of San Marcos.”
Cummings served as chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee and former President Barack Obama said in a tweet that “he showed us all not only the importance of checks and balances within our democracy, but also the necessity of good people stewarding it.
Rockeymoore said the loss of Cummings at this time is traumatic for the nation, but even more so for his sister and Cummings’ children.
“The time I spent with him was a blessing, but to know that a man of such caliber was my sister’s husband was a comfort indeed,” Rockeymoore said.
