[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 99 (Wednesday, July 6, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4389-S4390]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    REMEMBERING CHARLOTTE BLOOMBERG

 Mr. KERRY. Mr. President, most New Yorkers knew Charlotte 
Bloomberg as Mayor Michael Bloomberg's spirited, independent mother 
whose example shined through in her son.
  But for us in Massachusetts, Mrs. Bloomberg was a presence and a 
fixture in a city where neighborhood ties run deep--Medford. There she 
was known and loved as a schoolteacher, a community icon, and a beloved 
and caring friend.
  Mrs. Bloomberg passed away at her home in Medford, in the same house 
that she turned into a home with her husband and children. In his 
farewell, Mayor Bloomberg remembered his mother for her ``constant 
love.'' In Medford, Mrs. Bloomberg's generosity in sharing caring and 
compassion was well known. Charlotte Bloomberg showered attention on 
her neighbors and friends, and her modesty, her grace, and unflagging 
energy was infectious. She was a fixture at the Temple Shalom, which 
the Bloombergs founded and where she served as copresident well into 
her eighties. Neighbors remember that they could always count on Mrs. 
Bloomberg to be one of the first people to arrive for Friday services 
because she wanted the chance to say hello to everyone, especially the 
children.

[[Page S4390]]

  She was an energetic campaign volunteer--even in her midnineties, she 
was frequently out on the campaign trail, telling anyone who would 
listen why her son was the best choice for mayor. And when she couldn't 
be there physically, she was still present because she was tightly 
weaved into her son's life and as a result his political speeches. Her 
values were instilled in her children--hard work, intellectual 
curiosity, and ambition. These were values Charlotte Bloomberg lived 
day-in and day-out. She graduated high school at 16 and went to New 
York University. She raised two great children--Michael and Marjorie 
Tiven. And when her husband died while Michael was in college, 
Charlotte forged forward and became the family breadwinner. Mayor 
Bloomberg later wrote, above all his mother was a woman who lived 
according to the belief that ``we've got to take care of each other.'' 
That is a lesson we should all hold close.
  Mr. President, if there is an example we can all learn from the life 
of Charlotte Bloomberg, it is that we can always do more for our 
community, our State, and our country. So today we join the Bloomberg 
family in mourning the passing of Charlotte Bloomberg, but we also join 
to rejoice in the blessings she shared with everyone who knew her and 
the indomitable spirit her friends won't ever forget--a spirit that is 
the very best of Medford, MA.

                          ____________________