Valerie Bishop (ValerieB Here on the Forum) - RIP

[Kevin Bresnahan]

It saddens me to report that Valerie Bishop (ValerieB here on the forum) was placed in hospice care today. Her son posted this to her Facebook page and he included his contact number if anyone wants to get a message to her, though he does say that her condition may make it tough to get to her. Apparently, this was very sudden but not unexpected as she's been having a rough time of it lately.

Valerie has been an "on-line friend" of mine for over 20 years now. I will miss her stories. I will miss her positive outlook on life. Simply put, I will miss her presence.

Valerie's son's post:

Hello. I'm Valerie's son, Jay. I can appreciate the anxiety many of you feel from not being in touch with Valerie during her health challenges. She made a very Valerie decision to not involve or burden friends and actually pushed concerned friends away. The past two months have involved many incidents and setbacks that required hospitalization and rehab. But her medical team has seen a marked decline in her condition and it was decided to move Valerie to hospice. She's at Berkley East Convalescent Hospital in Santa Monica. Here, medical efforts are focused on hospice goals, meaning comfort and pain management. Valerie has good moments and bad ones, depending on the time of day. Sometimes she is alert and engaged with nurses. And very funny. Other times her head is clouded. I know that people would like to say goodbye. But I also don't want to overwhelm Valerie with phone calls or crowds.
I welcome people to text me if they want to talk by phone. Or if they want to visit. Together we can decide the best time. Make contact by texting me at XXX-XXX-XXXX. Thanks to everyone who sends love and support.

I blanked out the phone number. If you're friends with Val on Facebook, it's there.

Edit to add that Valerie died this morning. From her son's FB post:

Valerie Bishop, jazz lover, sassy spirit, beloved friend and cherished mother, passed this morning after a long battle with cancer at the age of 77. In the past week she had been visited by many friends who got to voice their love and say goodbye. At her request, there will be no funeral, but a memorial service will be held at a later date. I will also list charities where you can make donations in her memory. Thank you for my life, Mamacita, and farewell.

Edited August 21, 2017 by Kevin Bresnahan

[paul secor]

Thanks for passing on this news, Kevin - even if it is very sad news.

[JSngry]

So sorry to hear this. Valerie was always good peeps. Travel well, Miss B..

[Clunky]

I've never corresponded with Valerie but I've loved her stories. She told these well with insight and humour. It was clear to me that on this evidence alone she was/is cut from the finest cloth. I like others here hope that she'll be comfortable with those she needs around her.

[mikeweil]

Same here - she always posted substantial and personal contributions. My thoughts are with her.

[Stereojack]

Sad news - Valerie has been a notable presence here and on Facebook.

[Dan Gould]

Very sad to hear. She's been a great contributor we don't have many here with those personal memories to share.  I'll miss her.

[Justin V]

I was just wondering about her a few weeks ago.  I'm sorry to hear this news.

[clifford_thornton]

Bummer -- always loved reading her thoughts. Safe travels, Ms. B.

[Soulstation1]

Darn ......

Liked her stories from back in the day 

[AllenLowe]

so sorry to hear this. Nice lady, even worked for Ike Turner.

[sidewinder]

I too was wondering about her and am very sorry to hear this. Wishing her well and comfort - if I remember correctly she (her character that is) is featured in that Tina Turner bio movie and also gets a mention in Wayne Shorter's autobiography. Her insightful posts are missed !

Edited August 16, 2017 by sidewinder

[CJ Shearn]

Oh man.................  sad

[HutchFan]

Sorry to hear this sad news. 

[brownie]

Damn!

Hope she is in good hands...Hope to see her  post here again soon!

[Hot Ptah]

 

This is very sad. Valerie and I exchanged several private messages several years ago. She is a very nice person.

During the 2008 Presidential campaign, I commented to her that I wished that I had a Jazz for Obama campaign button, but that they seemed to be scarce and that I could not find one. She said that she was getting some for other people and would mail one to me. A few days later her envelope arrived with the button inside. She wrote that she had obtained three buttons and had given them to her friends Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter.....and me.

There was a thread on some online music board, it may have been a board other than Organissimo, about whether or not you can play your favorite music at work. I posted that as an attorney, there is no written rule in my office stating that I cannot play music at work, but that it is just unthinkable that I would, that music is simply never played in a law office. Valerie contacted me privately and said that she had been working for years as a legal secretary for a successful partner of a Los Angeles law firm, and that my comments were exactly right. She said that it is just impossible to imagine playing music during a work day in a law office.

She also commented that the attorney she worked with was very conservative politically, with views opposite of her own, but that he was also personally very nice, and had treated her very well over the years. We had some nice exchanges about what it is like to work in a law firm.

I had just sent her a Facebook friend request, about ten days ago, because I realized that I had not seen any posts by her on any online boards, and I missed reading her thoughts.

[Kevin Bresnahan]

On 8/16/2017 at 0:26 PM, sidewinder said:

I too was wondering about her and am very sorry to hear this. Wishing her well and comfort - if I remember correctly she (her character that is) is featured in that Tina Turner bio movie and also gets a mention in Wayne Shorter's autobiography. Her insightful posts are missed !

I think Val was a backup singer for Ike & Tina. This is a picture she posted to her Facebook page a bout 4 years ago:

I don't know which one is Val. I think she's right next to Tina on the left.

Supposedly, in real life, this scene was between Valerie and Tina Turner. No idea why they changed her so much for the movie.

 

[Scott Dolan]

6 hours ago, brownie said:

Damn!

Hope she is in good hands...Hope to see her  post here again soon!

Unfortunately, Hospice is pretty much the end of the line... Only the rarest cases make it more than a few days once they are placed on Hospice care. 

[Hardbopjazz]

This is sad news. 

[Hot Ptah]

5 hours ago, Scott Dolan said:

Unfortunately, Hospice is pretty much the end of the line... Only the rarest cases make it more than a few days once they are placed on Hospice care. 

True. My mother, a retired Registered Nurse, volunteers at a hospice center.  In most cases the patients are there because they are near death and the hospice centers can give them more painkilling drugs to make their last hours more tolerable, compared to what a more regulated hospital can do.

[Scott Dolan]

The most important aspect being they are usually in their homes, and not a hospital or nursing home. So surrounded by family and friends rather than nurses and beeping machines. 

It's hard. I delivered DME (durable medical equipment) all over Missouri for Hospice patients. So many good people, so many grievous losses...

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

[Patrick]

On August 17, 2017 at 4:08 PM, Hot Ptah said:

True. My mother, a retired Registered Nurse, volunteers at a hospice center.  In most cases the patients are there because they are near death and the hospice centers can give them more painkilling drugs to make their last hours more tolerable, compared to what a more regulated hospital can do.

Not true! I'm setting up hospice for a parent this weekend. Being eligible for hospice requires expectation that death likely to arrive in the next six months -- much longer than a few days. Given Medicare covers this, useful to rest of family to get that type of care arranged. For families in similar situations, I would encourage pursuing this much sooner than final days (if medical situation allows one to reach required conclusion). 

[Scott Dolan]

16 hours ago, Patrick said:

Not true! I'm setting up hospice for a parent this weekend. Being eligible for hospice requires expectation that death likely to arrive in the next six months -- much longer than a few days. Given Medicare covers this, useful to rest of family to get that type of care arranged. For families in similar situations, I would encourage pursuing this much sooner than final days (if medical situation allows one to reach required conclusion). 

Sorry, brother. It is absolutely true, and I know this for a fact from first-hand experience. 

Neither of us are saying it's that way with 100% of Hospice patients. But I'd easily put it at 95%, and still feel like that's lower than it should be. 

[Kevin Bresnahan]

Copied from my first post...

From her son's FB post:

Valerie Bishop, jazz lover, sassy spirit, beloved friend and cherished mother, passed this morning after a long battle with cancer at the age of 77. In the past week she had been visited by many friends who got to voice their love and say goodbye. At her request, there will be no funeral, but a memorial service will be held at a later date. I will also list charities where you can make donations in her memory. Thank you for my life, Mamacita, and farewell.