“It is with profound sadness that I announce the passing of the Director of Constituent Services for the 9th District of NY, my dear friend, and colleague Ms. Mary Bishop. Mary has been with our office and me for more than 15 years; she began working with me in my campaign for Congress in 2006 and was critical to our success. She was among the first of my staffers to work with me in DC as my first congressional scheduler. After an extended period, she returned home to her beloved 9th Congressional District. Mary was a consummate public servant who was passionate about helping others. She seemed to be driven to help others who found themselves in the most difficult of circumstances, and she was gratified by bringing a smile to the face of those in distress.

Mary had a heart of gold. She embodied what it meant to advocate for the people, and her passing will resonate in our district immensely. She fought on behalf of every constituent that she encountered as if they were her blood relatives. She ingratiated herself to decision-makers and established relationships that would accrue to the benefit of the most vulnerable amongst us. On a personal note, I will miss Mary dearly. We celebrated together, laughed together, and shared a passion for the people of the 9th district together. Mary Bishop worked hard, played hard, and was a God-fearing woman who loved her family immensely. She was a proud Caribbean Woman from Trinidad and Tobago, who added so much to the richness of the cultural diversity in our office and her adopted home, Brooklyn, New York.

I want to extend my thoughts and prayers to Mary’s immediate and extended family, loved ones, friends and all who were touched by the life and legacy of the incomparable Mary Bishop.

While I’m still coming to grips and processing her passing, I know that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.”

“If I can help somebody, as I travel along
If I can help somebody with a word or song
If I help somebody from doing wrong
No, my living shall not be in vain.”
– Mahalia Jackson.