Bellamy Gamboa
RICHMOND, Va. — To honor the mother of four who was killed by her ex-boyfriend in July 2018, Gov. Ralph Northam released a series of proclamations as part of Bellamy Gamboa Day.
Northam highlighted parts of Gamboa’s life that she will be remembered fondly by, such as being a supportive mother, child of a military family, a team mom and a veteran of the U.S. Air Force.
The family of Bellamy Gamboa had been working to have “Bellamy Day” recognized in the entire state of Virginia on July 16 – Gamboa’s birthday.
Since the family is not able to celebrate any more birthdays with her, they hope to use the date as a way to spread awareness of domestic violence across the state.
“Her memory will live on, in her own home state, on the calendar. Her four children will have the opportunity to cherish this during their entire lifetime,” said Gamboa’s family in a Facebook post.
The family will also be holding a celebration of Bellamy’s life and thanking volunteers who helped search for her on Saturday, July 20th. Starting at 5:15 p.m., people are invited to come to Back Bay Brewing on Kempsville Road. For a $20 donation, attendees can get two drink tickets, and 4B decal.
There will also be food by Bellamy’s longtime friend Chef Vanessa Murdoch and music.
More information about the event can be found on the page’s event post.
Below are the proclamations made by Northam:
WHEREAS, Bellamy Gamboa, a vibrant member of the Hampton Roads community and an incredible mother, daughter, and sister, passed in 2018; and
WHEREAS, as a child of a military family, Bellamy spent much of her early life in Japan, where her father was stationed with the United States Navy; and
WHEREAS, in 1996, Bellamy graduated from Nile C. Kinnick High School in Yokosuka, Japan, where she had made many lifelong friendships and cultivated her passion for music and singing; and
WHEREAS, Bellamy served her country as a member of the United States Air Force, then returned to the Commonwealth, where she had deep family roots, and worked for the international shipping firm CMA CGM as an import customer service representative for the next 10 years; and
WHEREAS, Bellamy subsequently worked for Livingston International in Norfolk and had been pursuing a degree at Tidewater Community College with a goal of becoming a licensed customs broker; and
WHEREAS, Bellamy was a devoted mother who was deeply involved in the lives of her children; and
WHEREAS, she proudly served as a team mom for her older son’s baseball team and often invited her friends and co-workers to her daughter’s dance recitals; and
WHEREAS, Bellamy’s family members established the 4Bellamy campaign in her honor to raise awareness of the warning signs for domestic violence and support other women in the community who may be at risk for domestic violence; and
WHEREAS, Bellamy Gamboa will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by her four beloved children, her family members, and friends; and
WHEREAS, the Commonwealth of Virginia joins Bellamy’s family and friends in honoring her memory by recognizing July 16, 2019, as Bellamy Gamboa Day;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Ralph S. Northam, do hereby recognize July 16, 2019, as BELLAMY GAMBOA DAY in our COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, and I call this observance to the attention of all our citizens.
