Marietta Ruth Allison Harvey, a cellist, public health nurse, mother, wife, and neighborhood activist passed surrounded by her family Sunday, January 4, 2015. She was 80.
Marietta, who was born in the Philippines, moved to Berkeley with her husband Fred Harvey in the late 1950s and raised three children here. Concerned about danger at school cross walks, in 1965 Marietta organized PASS, Parents for Action on School Safety. Marietta and Fred were co-presidents of the Emerson School PTA in 1968, the year “the busses rolled”. She helped ease the transition to fully integrated schools. She was also a member of the citizen’s committee which planned the new Willard Park in 1971, and was a founder and for many years co-chair of the Willard Neighborhood Association. As a civic activist, Marietta took leadership in issues related to traffic, parking, and commercial and residential zoning.
Marietta’s life will be celebrated Monday, Jan. 19, at 2 p.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Avenue.
Please read Marietta Ruth Allison Harvey’s obituary here and feel free to leave your thoughts about her in the comments section.
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