[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 125 (Friday, September 29, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1955]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      TRIBUTE TO ROBERTA HOLLOWELL

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MIKE THOMPSON

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 29, 2006

  Mr. THOMPSON of California. Mr. Speaker, I, along with my colleague 
Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey, rise today to honor Roberta Hollowell of 
Santa Rosa, California, who passed away on August 10, 2006, after a 
two-year battle with cancer. We know that, though she has left this 
earthly plane, she will be continuing her work as a feminist activist 
elsewhere. Hers is the kind of voice that will never be silenced, and 
her spirit lives on in the many she inspired.
  Born 77 years ago in Brooklyn, NY, Roberta moved to California as a 
teenager when her father took an engineering job in the Bay Area. She 
graduated from UC Berkeley (where she met her husband Ellis Hollowell) 
and later earned a master's degree from Mills College. The couple had 
three children before divorcing in 1962.
  In 1962 Roberta and the children moved to Sebastopol and later to 
Santa Rosa. At that time, Roberta began teaching English at Healdsburg 
High School, a position she held for 23 years.
  As an activist, Roberta was a leader and member in many 
organizations, and as a retired teacher, education was one of her 
passions. She was active in the California Teachers Association (CTA), 
National Education Association (NEA), the Sonoma County Educators 
Council, and the Healdsburg Area Teachers Association. Other 
affiliations included National Organization for Women, Sierra Club, 
NAACP, Sonoma County Commission on the Status of Women, and California 
State Democratic Central Committee.
  Her union work and liberal politics probably started as a family 
trait, but Roberta blazed her own path and was a mainstay of the Sonoma 
County Democratic Party. Throughout her life she was active in a host 
of issues that benefited from her skills and contacts.
  But it is Roberta's personal contacts and example that we remember 
the most. Stories told at her funeral attest to her unique ability to 
bring others into the fold. She insisted that since we all have voices 
we should use them. Her humor and warmth as well as her determination, 
leadership, and sense of organization were all key to her success. And 
fond nicknames, like The General and La Jefa, were also marks of 
respect.
  Roberta was very proud of her wonderful family. She is survived by 
her daughter Mardi, her son Tom, grandchildren Ryan and Danielle, and 
great-granddaughter Melody Ann. Her son David preceded her in death in 
1995.
  Mr. Speaker, we are honored to have been counted among Roberta 
Hollowell's many friends. We will miss her support and inspiration and 
will carry her legacy with us.

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