Rep. Chu Statement on the Life of Dolores Hickambottom

Dolores Hickambottom

Rep. Judy Chu (CA-27) issued the following statement on the life of Dolores Hickambottom, who died on December 13th at the age of 90.

By News Desk

I am incredibly saddened by the loss of the great Dolores Hickambottom whose decades of leadership have helped shape Altadena and Pasadena into the communities they are today. For over five decades, Dolores was a true leader at the forefront of every important issue in our area, like when she led the effort to desegregate the Pasadena Unified School District, helping to educate and organize Pasadena residents. She also helped to raise the visibility of African Americans in government, working to elect Pasadena’s first African American mayor, Loretta Thompson-Glickman, and encouraging more members of the community to get involved in city council meetings.

Dolores had so many interests and passions, serving on the boards of so many community organizations from the League of Women Voters to the Pasadena Chapter of the National Women’s Political Caucus to Pasadena City College. But one of the things Dolores was always most proud of was being a veteran of the Korean War. She was one of the few women serving in the United States Army, and one of the few people of color. Even though the odds were against her, she excelled in her position and was even recognized as an outstanding basic trainee. Dolores has never forgotten her service in the military and went on to join organizations like American Legion Post 13 to do whatever she could to support our veterans, including her successful efforts at helping to bring a Veterans Health Clinic to the San Gabriel Valley.

For her lifetime of work, I was honored to recognize Dolores at my 2019 Congressional Women of the Year Awards. And her legacy continues today in the lives she changed and the organizations she helped shape. She was a committed and dedicated member of our community whose tireless work has helped shape a better future for us all. She will be deeply missed, but I know her memory will live on in the continued work that she inspired.