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Bruce and Barry Bishop acknowledge that there's some truth to the theories about twins.

"Sometimes we both pick up the phone at the same time with the same idea," said Barry, with his trademark animated hand gestures.

"We're each other's best friends," adds the more reticent Bruce.

The brothers share more than quick repartee, red hair, hazel eyes and slim physiques. Both thrive on community service, giving back to the city they love.

"Barry and Bruce don't say, 'This is what you ought to do,' or 'This is what you should have done,'" said Norfolk Mayor Paul D. Fraim. "They say, 'This is what we will do' and then they ask, 'What more can we do?'

"Every city is shaped by its volunteers, those citizens who give of themselves for the sake of their community. Barry and Bruce are exemplars of what generous and caring citizens can do," the mayor said.

Having moved to Norfolk from Hartford, Conn., in 1959, Barry jokes: "We're naturalized citizens."

Their father, the late Robert W. Bishop, managed the millinery department at Rice's department store on Granby Street. The family that includes an older brother and sister settled into a home in Winona, where their mother, Barbara, still resides.

She said it was hard to tell her twins apart, but she noticed that about every three months, they would trade off being the "leader."

The twins, now 50, attended Lakewood Elementary, Willard Junior and Granby High schools, graduating in 1969. "They threw themselves into everything, especially the Junior Achievement program," Barbara Bishop said. "They even played duets on the piano for the talent shows."

Memories, like the time they watched watching the Oyster Bowl Parade from Rice's windows, come flooding back.

"Food on Thanksgiving was secondary to the annual Granby-Maury football game at Foreman Field," said Barry.

After high-school graduation, the choice for college came easily. It was Old Dominion University for both. "We were already very communityminded and happy to stay here to be involved," Bruce said.

Added Barry: "ODU is one of the great assets in the community and commonwealth. It's an engine for growth."

"The Bishop Boys," as they were called way back, rose to the occasion. Bruce was student body president for two years and on the Board of Visitors; Barry was the editor of the student newspaper, the Mace & Crown, and ran Bruce's campaigns.

They threw themselves into politics, as well. Both worked stints as aides to Congressman G. William Whitehurst.

After ODU, Bruce graduated from the University of Virginia law school, clerked for the late Judge Richard Kellam and then joined a law practice with Willcox & Savage, where he works in product liability cases. From his office on the 17th floor of the Bank of America building, Bruce sees the vast changes in the waterfront since the first tall ship docked in 1976, an event that helped transform Norfolk into the thriving seaport and city that it is today, he said.

John Sears, the first chairman of Harborfest, recalled: "I met Bruce Bishop in 1976, when we had too many things going on and too few people. I asked, 'Could you please help me?' and from then on, he was very active."

Recalling those early waterfront events, Barry said: "That lit the fire. It proved that there was a yearning to reinvent the waterfront. We worked with an army of volunteers to change the future of our city."

Bruce remembers meetings that lasted until 2 a.m., and watching the number of festival-goers top 1 million. , For his part, Barry also was the catering sales manager of the former Omni International Hotel, the first big developer to invest on the waterfront. He later worked in the investment business, before becoming executive director of the Greater Norfolk Corp. a decade ago.

"Our goal is to marshal resources from the private sector for the city," Barry said. "We're part of a team effort."

"Team" is a word with which the brothers are familiar. "This is all about 'we' not 'I,' " said Barry.

"They're both very modest and don't try to hog the spotlight," said former mayor Vincent Thomas, who has watched the Bishop brothers grow up and remembers their help in his political campaigns. "I always figured I could count on them when I needed help," Thomas said.

Other highlights include Barry's tenure on the Norfolk School Board. "Barry brings a sense of community to the board," said Dr. Theresa Whibley, chairwoman.

Bruce serves on the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority Board to "promote a place for people to live from all walks of life," he said.

The Norfolk Convention and Visitors Bureau and Downtown Norfolk Council also benefit from the Bishops' sense of community.

Barry lives in Ocean View and recently took his daughter, Frances, to James Madison University to start her freshman year with her cousin, Margaret, Bruce's younger daughter.

Bruce is married to Sarah and lives in Lafayette Shores. The couple also have a daughter, Elizabeth, a student at the University of Virginia.

The brothers, who claim to "argue like cats and dogs," agree that volunteerism works. "When we come together with a common purpose and goal, we can do so much more," Barry said.

"We've gotten a lot more out of it than we've put into it, just to be part of the revitalization of the city."

Caption: PHOTO Bruce Bishop, left, and brother Barry still live in Norfolk, where they thrive on community service, giving back to the city they love.The twins - "who threw themselves into everything," their mom says - attended Lakewood Elementary, Willard Junior and Granby High. FILE PHOTOs Bruce Bishop, left, and brother Barry pose for their Granby High School graduation in 1969. The twins are "each other's best friends," says Bruce. COLOR PHOTOS BARRY,LEFT, AND BRUCE BISHOP....

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