As I was reading the Free Press obituaries the other morning I came across this one:

ALTHEA PRZYBYLO KROGER – BURLINGTON – Althea Przybylo Kroger, 65, passed away at Vermont Respite House on Aug. 30, 2012, after a courageous battle with lung cancer.

She hasn't been in the public eye in many years, but readers who recognize the name probably go right to their memories of a bizarre episode in Vermont legal history, in which both Althea Kroger and Elizabeth Gretkowski, who were both serving as Chittenden County side judges, were disciplined by the Vermont Supreme Court for  engaging in conduct which undermined public confidence in the integrity of the judiciary and brought the office of assistant judge into disrespect.

 The story of a feud between two elected judges included claims of judges refusing to take required actions to make sure the court was able to function, allegations and cross-allegations of false and misleading public statements, claims, some of which were established, of secret taping of conversations, and even stuff like occult spiritual practices and spells to protect against evil spirits (I don't remember the details, but trust me when I say I'm not making that up).

It was altogether a bizarre and discreditable series of events.

My point, though, is to say that if this is all anyone remembers of Althea Kroger they would be making a mistake, because before and after she went badly off the rails as a side judge she also did a great deal of good.

I worked closely with Althea when she was serving in the State Senate, and she was a strong and consistent voice for tenants' rights in the Senate General Affairs and Housing Committee.

From the obituary:

 As a member of the House Judiciary Committee, and later the House Appropriations Committee, Althea was a strong supporter of open government, increasing state assistance to lowincome people and the elderly, and increasing mental health, special education and higher education funding. She proposed a bill to strengthen the Lobbyist Disclosure Law. She supported budget increases for Vermont Aid to Needy Families with Children. She introduced legislation to permit property tax relief for senior citizens. She supported the Independence Fund, an alternative to nursing home care. Other major legislative efforts included co-sponsoring a bill to outlaw corporal punishment in school. She also researched and led the fight to pass a living will bill, which allows anyone over the age of 18 years to designate end-of-life measures.

. . .

  Following law school, she served two terms in the Vermont Senate. Althea continued making issues her priority during her four years as a Vermont Senator. She sponsored successful legislation that increased funds for affordable housing, required insurance coverage for mammograms, prohibited discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in public places, and allowed workers to take unpaid family leave. She was Chair of the Conference Committee that passed legislation that allowed Burlington to use its waterfront lands for arts education and cultural activities, water research and dining facilities. As a Senator, she received awards for State House Distinguished Service from the Vermont Dietetic Association and an appreciation award from the Vermont Sheriff's Association.

. . .

  She also was the founder and first Executive Director of the Vermont Bar Foundation, which was established to oversee and distribute funds from lawyers' interest-bearing escrow accounts. Later as a Senator, she proposed legislation to use funds in interest-bearing real-estate escrow accounts for affordable housing. A central priority in Althea's political life was advancing the cause of women in society. She was a member of the Essex League of Women Voters and served as Voter Service Chair, helping women get elected. She researched and wrote her master's thesis on women in politics. She was producer and host of 80 one-half-hour TV interview programs, called Vermont Women, broadcast on Vermont's Adelphia Cable channel 15, from 1990-1994. This program highlighted individual Vermont women and their contributions to society, and included three award winning programs, recognized by NEWC, New English Women in Cable, Boston, Mass. She organized and coordinated the successful effort to pass an amendment to the Vermont State Constitution to rewrite the Constitution in gender neutral language.

 I didn't follow her career after she left the Legislature, but she continued to be active in education, women's empowerment, and helping others. 

 I encourage you to read the entire obituary, and to recall that, as with most of us, it would be unfair to base your judgment on what may have been the worst period of her public life, ignoring the good she did for many.