[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 7]
[Senate]
[Pages 10385-10386]
[From the U.S. 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

[[Page 10386]]

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.
  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.

                          ____________________