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Also naming 1300 S. 46th Street “Ruby Knight Way” in honor of the Woodland Avenue Community Historian and a beloved resident of the Woodland Avenue Community.
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WHEREAS, Ruby Knight was a lifelong resident of the Woodland Avenue Community, she died October 16, 2015 after a brief illness at the age of 89; and
WHEREAS, Ruby Knight was born in Irwinton, GA and moved to Philadelphia as an infant with her parents, Dennis and Leola Knight. The family settled into a house on St. Marks Street near 42nd Street & Woodland Ave. Ruby was educated in Philadelphia Public Schools and graduated from Bartram High School; and
WHEREAS, Ruby was widowed at an early age and began a 30-year career at the Veteran’s Administration (VA) to support her young children Frank, Martin and Colette. Ruby was highly knowledgeable and depended upon in her office. Even after her retirement she would receive calls requesting her expertise and knowledge of the procedures; and
WHEREAS, Several years after her retirement from the VA, Ruby returned to the workforce as a Teacher’s Assistant for the Philadelphia School Board. Her duties involved caring for the infants of teen mothers after they returned to school. She took great pride in being an encouragement to the young mothers; and
WHEREAS, Ruby was a member of Mount Zion Baptist Church, located on 50th Street and Woodland Avenue for 74 years and was very active in church functions and clubs. She enjoyed the events surrounding the church’s recent 100th Church Anniversary; and
WHEREAS, Ruby’s window to the world was her front porch. She lived across the street from the neighborhood school, where she had attended 80 years previously. She enjoyed interacting with the children on their way to/from school. She seemed to know all the children, their siblings and parents and where they lived. Ruby’s knowledge of the Woodland Avenue Community and its rich history was indisputable. She prided herself in the accuracy of the information and enjoyed sharing it with all those who were eager to listen; and
WHEREAS, As the neighborhood went through transition, Wilson Elementary School closed, and homes in the community were rented more and more by the college students from the Philadelphia University of the Sciences, Ruby befriended these new neighbors and was invited to their wedding showers and other special events; and
WHEREAS, Ruby Knight will always be a treasured member of the Woodland Avenue Community. Her name on the Street Sign located at 1300 S. 46th Street will serve as a permanent reminder of those African Americans who migrated from the Southern States and settled in the Woodland Avenue Area more than eight decades ago. Woodland Avenue still mourns the loss of their beloved Ruby. She may be gone, but she is certainly not forgotten; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that the Philadelphia City Council, Hereby also names 1300 S. 46th Street “Ruby Knight Way” in honor of the Woodland Avenue Community Historian and a beloved resident of the Woodland Avenue Community.
FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Ruby Knight as a sincere expression of the Philadelphia City Council’s gratitude and recognition.
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