[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 157 (Friday, December 3, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8475-S8476]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        REMEMBERING VELMA BISHOP

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize and offer my 
condolences for the passing of a great Nevadan, Velma Bishop. A 
naturalized U.S. citizen from Canada, Velma labored diligently in many 
charitable and civic opportunities and programs. She was a wonderful 
mother and a wife of 45 year to her beloved late husband, Gail 
Alexander Bishop. Not only will her local, religious, and political 
communities miss her impact, but so will the great multitudes of people 
she has been able to touch through a life devoted to service. It is my 
great honor to recognize her life's work before the U.S. Senate today.
  The State of Nevada will miss Velma's can-do spirit. She sacrificed 
much of her personal time volunteering with special-needs children and 
orphans. Many people with no biological relation nonetheless knew her 
as ``mom.'' Her arms were open for anyone; her kind spirit will always 
be remembered. She was also a very involved member of her local 
congregation in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
  Velma worked diligently to raise money for nonprofit concerns and 
even found time to manage various campaigns for the Democratic Party of 
Nevada. She never shied away from voicing northern Nevada's needs. 
Until recently, she continued playing an active role in the Gail Bishop 
Chapter of the Nevada Alliance for Retired Americans, aptly named after 
her late husband. Her involvement in the public service back home found 
her befriending many of the underrepresented or overworked. She battled 
courageously on their behalf. Among her many mourners is the former 
Rep. Jim Bilbray, D-Nevada.
  I join with my friends back home in Nevada to honor the wonderful 
life of Velma Bishop. For 81 years she has immersed herself in 
enhancing the lives of others. I am grateful to recognize her 
achievements, and with a heavy heart, know that many people join Susan, 
Steve, and Kate in missing their ``mom.''

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