[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 105 (Friday, June 21, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E815]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF BELLA HIRIGOYEN

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                             HON. TED LIEU

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, June 21, 2019

  Mr. TED LIEU of California. Madam Speaker, Bella Hirigoyen was an 
immigrant who lived the American dream. Born in Israel to two Holocaust 
survivors, her family was sponsored by U.S. Steel. Her father, George 
Weibel, was a part of the design and build teams at Hughes Aircraft 
Company for the Surveyor spacecraft which hung in the Smithsonian Air 
and Space Museum for decades. Bella arrived in America at the age of 
five, learned English, and became very successful in school. She 
graduated from Fairfax High School in the Los Angeles Unified School 
District.


 =========================== NOTE =========================== 

  
  June 21, 2019, on page E815, the following appeared: Mr. LIEU of 
California. Madam Speaker,
  
  The online version has been corrected to read: Mr. TED LIEU of 
California. Madam Speaker,


 ========================= END NOTE ========================= 


  Bella and her husband, Richard, worked hard to be able to afford a 
home in the City of Torrance where they lived together for thirty-three 
of their almost forty years together. She carved out a career in 
medical management. Her love and respect for patients endeared them to 
her, and her colleagues maintained friendships with her long after 
their work relationships ended.
  Bella was a true example of love and devotion. There was nothing more 
important to her than family. She loved visiting the Central California 
Coast with the love of her life, Richard, where they could visit 
wineries or watch the California sunset. She was devoted to helping her 
children with their pursuits whether acting as a campaign manager for 
her son, Jeremy Gerson, or assisting her daughter, Stacey Stewart, 
start her own business. Bella was always attending sporting and school 
events for her grandchildren Lucas, Aurora, William and Blake. She even 
held positions on two different PTA executive boards at the same time. 
Bella could not spend enough time with family and especially 
appreciated that her sister, Irene Weibel, would host regular family 
BBQs so their 94-year-old mother, Martha Weibel, could attend.
  Bella passed on June 2, 2019, as she lived, surrounded by her family.

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