Former veteran state Rep. Julia Wasserman of Newtown, who escaped Nazi Germany as a girl, has died at the age of 91.
The nine-term Republican member of the House of Representatives died early Tuesday morning at Danbury Hospital. The Connecticut Post reported Wasserman recently suffered a heart attack.
Wasserman was first elected to the General Assembly in 1990. She served nine, two-year terms.
House Minority Leader Themis Klarides said Wasserman "had a remarkable life and career and was the consummate public servant." She said Wasserman was respected by Republicans and Democrats in the Senate and House of Representatives.
U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal called her "an original thinker" who rejected "stereotypes and partisan straightjackets."
Wasserman also served on the Board of Pardons and Paroles and numerous local commissions.