Bill Text: NY J00840 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Mourning the death of Bernadette Hoppe, lifelong activist, college professor and dedicated member of her community

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2019-03-29 - ADOPTED [J00840 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-J00840-Introduced.html

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Senate Resolution No. 840

BY: Senator KENNEDY

        MOURNING  the  death of Bernadette Hoppe, lifelong
        activist, college professor and dedicated member  of
        her community

  WHEREAS, There are certain outstanding members of our community who,
through  their selfless commitment and dedication, have served to better
the quality of life in our community and have had a measurable  positive
impact  on  the  lives  of  its residents; Bernadette Hoppe was one such
individual; and

  WHEREAS, Bernadette Hoppe, of Buffalo, New York, a longtime attorney
and college professor, who produced a television show and documentaries,
and edited a magazine for women, passed away on March 1,  2019,  at  the
age of 54; and

  WHEREAS,  Bernadette  Hoppe,  affectionately known to many as Berni,
was born in Poughkeepsie, New York; five days after graduating from Pine
Bush High School, she entered the United States Army  Reserve  intending
to  enroll  in medical school, but, for her, the military was not a good
fit; and

  WHEREAS, In 1983, Bernadette Hoppe moved to Buffalo and  earned  all
her  college  degrees  from the University at Buffalo; she completed her
bachelor's in psychology  and  women's  studies  in  1987,  master's  in
American/women's  studies  in  1990,  juris doctor cum laude from the UB
School of Law in 2003, and master's in public health from the UB  School
of Social and Preventative Medicine in 2006; and

  WHEREAS,  Bernadette  Hoppe  distinguished herself in her profession
and by her  sincere  dedication  and  substantial  contribution  to  the
welfare of her community; and

  WHEREAS,  This  remarkable  woman  preferred  to  work with poor and
underserved  individuals  and  communities,  particularly   women   with
substance  use  disorders  and  pregnancies;  her  work  in the field of
HIV/AIDS was focused on women; and

  WHEREAS, Early in her career, Bernadette Hoppe was  a  counselor  at
Haven  House,  then at Erie County Medical Center; she was the Marketing
Manager and the Managed Care Administrator for  the  Geneva  B.  Scruggs
Community  Health  Center,  before accepting the position of Coordinator
for Community Action for Prenatal Care; and

  WHEREAS, Bernadette Hoppe started work as an adjunct  instructor  at
UB  in  1987;  she  also  taught  at  SUNY  Brockport  and  Old Dominion
University in Norfolk, Virginia; in 2006, she began teaching at  the  UB
law school; and

  WHEREAS, Starting in 1988, Bernadette Hoppe was host and producer of
the 100-episode public access television show "Focus on Women"; in 1995,
she  co-founded  Women's  Gifts,  an annual one-day market event, and in
1997, she became editor of the magazine her; she was also  a  player  in
"Ladies of the Lake" satirical theater troupe; and


  WHEREAS,  A co-founder of the Pro Choice Network of Western New York
in 1989, Bernadette Hoppe  won  many  awards  for  her  legal  work  and
community involvement; and

  WHEREAS, In 2004, she founded the law practice of Hoppe & Associates
Inc.,  which specialized in family law, especially for same-sex couples;
and

  WHEREAS, In 2012, Bernadette Hoppe  met  her  wife-to-be,  Mary  Van
Volkenburg,  on  a  beach  at  Windmill  Point,  Ontario, and the couple
married on May 12, 2014; and

  WHEREAS, Bernadette Hoppe's commitment to excellence, and her spirit
of humanity, carried over  into  all  fields  of  enterprise,  including
charitable and civic endeavors; and

  WHEREAS,  She  was  a  board  member of Neighborhood Legal Services,
Squeaky  Wheel,  Northwest  Community  Health  Center,  New  York  State
Perinatal Association and the Brazen Faced Varlets theater group; and

  WHEREAS,  In  1995,  Bernadette Hoppe received a Women Helping Women
Award from the Buffalo chapter of the National Organization  for  Women;
she  was  named  Divorce  Attorney  of the Year by the Volunteer Lawyers
Project in 2013, and in  2014,  was  named  both  the  Assigned  Counsel
Program's  Family  Court  Attorney  of  the  Year  and the Women Lawyers
Association's Woman Lawyer of the Year; and

  WHEREAS, Bernadette Hoppe  was  a  lifelong  activist;  after  being
diagnosed  with  Stage  3  cancer in 2015, she went to Albany to testify
before the State Assembly Health Committee in support of the Medical Aid
in Dying Act; and

  WHEREAS, In her testimony on April 23, 2018, Bernadette  Hoppe  told
the  committee how much she had to live for; then she said, "Please give
me, and those of us with terminal diagnoses, the ability to  have  hard,
emotional conversations with our doctors, our families, our friends, and
let  us  be  the  ones  to  make  very  private,  personal and difficult
decisions about when and how we die"; she retired in 2018  to  focus  on
her health; and

  WHEREAS,  In  addition  to her wife, Bernadette Hoppe is survived by
her two brothers, Timothy and Michael Hoppe; and one sister, Anne Hoppe;
and

  WHEREAS, Bernadette Hoppe, who displayed  many  exceptional  talents
and  unique  qualities, was also extremely kind, considerate, accepting,
tolerant, generous, smart, clever, creative, and  loving;  she  will  be
deeply  missed and truly merits the grateful tribute of this Legislative
Body; now, therefore, be it

  RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations in a
moment of silent tribute to Bernadette Hoppe,  whose  unselfish  concern
for  the  welfare  of others enhanced the lives of those so fortunate to
have called her family, colleague and friend, and to express its deepest
condolences to her family; and be it further

  RESOLVED, That a copy of this  Resolution,  suitably  engrossed,  be
transmitted to the family of Bernadette Hoppe.