On Thursday, July 22, Millicent Martinez Kondracke, a psychotherapist and the wife of Roll Call Executive Editor Morton Kondracke, passed away after a long struggle with Parkinson’s disease. She was 64. [IMGCAP(1)]

A native of Chicago, Milly earned a degree from Roosevelt University and later a master’s degree in social work from Catholic University. She worked on Robert F. Kennedy’s presidential campaign in 1968 and in the Arlington (Va.) County juvenile probation office before taking a post as a counselor at Catholic and then moving on to the Neurology Center in Bethesda, Md.

Her bout with Parkinson’s began 17 years ago and led both Milly and Mort to undertake a tireless campaign to increase awareness of the disease and push Congress for more research funding to help find a cure. Milly’s lobbying won her the Morris K. Udall Award for Public Service from the Parkinson’s Action Network, named for the late Arizona Congressman who also struggled with the disease.

Her struggle was documented in brutally honest fashion by Mort in his 2001 book, “Saving Milly: Love, Politics and Parkinson’s.”

Milly is survived by her husband, Morton, daughters, Alexandra and Andrea, and a sister.

A memorial service will be held Tuesday, Aug. 3 at 11:30 a.m. at St. Columba’s Episcopal Church, 4201 Albermarle St., NW.

Memorial contributions can be made to the Parkinson’s Action Network; 1000 Vermont Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20005.

All of us at Roll Call share Mort’s loss.