2 days ago
Grace Ann Kubofcik, Howard County government civic watchdog, dies
Grace Ann Kubofcik, a Howard County government civic watchdog, died of a pulmonary blood clot June 9 at Howard County General Hospital. The Ellicott City resident was 83.
'She paid close attention to social, economic and environmental justice,' said former Howard County Executive Elizabeth Bobo. 'She had a deep devotion to public policy in our government. She never sought attention and was one of my dearest friends.'
Born in the Bronx, New York, she was the daughter of Robert Douglas, assistant comptroller of Rockefeller Center and Grace Douglas, an executive secretary and bookkeeper. She was a graduate of Moravian Academy for Girls in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and earned a bachelor's degree at Wagner College in Staten Island.
She joined the Social Security Administration and worked in its Brooklyn office and met her future husband, James 'Jim' Kubofcik, while they were volunteering at an information booth at the 1964 World's Fair in Flushing, New York. They married in 1966.
They moved to Maryland and settled in Ellicott City when her husband took a post at Social Security headquarters in Woodlawn.
Ms. Kubofcik immersed herself in the community groups and joined the PTA and League of Women Voters. She became a regular presence at government meetings and soon became a citizen expert in zoning matters.
State Del. M. Courtney Watson, who represents Ellicott City, said, 'Grace was a straight-shooter with a smile. She told you like it was. She was upfront while being kind and caring.
'You could count on Grace for a seasoned opinion. She was generous with her time in helping newly elected persons. She explained past history for decisions and why they were made,' Ms. Watson said.
Friends recalled her as a knowledgeable observer of Howard County government who was well-read and well-informed.
In 2019, she was part of a group of Howard County residents who lined up along the side of Little Patuxent Parkway to call for affordable housing options in downtown Columbia. She joined the group, Full Spectrum Housing, which called for more affordable housing.
Ms. Kubofcik said Columbia should be the site of a range of housing options at different price points.
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'This is the urban core in Howard County; we don't have another one,' Ms. Kubofcik said in a Baltimore Sun article. 'It needs to have an opportunity for those who support us,' — such as teachers, restaurant workers and nurses, all of whom might not make enough money to afford a condo downtown.'
'She was a formidable policy wonk,' said Sang Oh, an attorney who often opposed her. 'But I respected her.'
Ms. Kubofcik spent time in her backyard where she fed the birds. She also took vacations in the Outer Banks with her grandchildren. She captained women's tennis doubles teams and, more recently, played bocce.
A celebration of life is being planned.
Survivors include her husband of nearly 59 years, James 'Jim' Kubofcik, a retired Social Security Administration executive; two sons, Mark Kubofcik, of Sunshine in Montgomery County and Joseph Kubofcik, of Catonsville; and four grandchildren.
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