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The ceremony will take place at 10 a.m. at the Biondi School Auditorium on the Leake & Watts Yonkers campus. Nelson’s daughter, Maria George, will accept the honor on behalf of her mother, who died Wednesday, Jan. 28 at age 77.
“Rita Gross Nelson, a pillar in the Yonkers community, supported and advocated for many many people, particularly children,” said Dr. Donald Antonecchia. “Her life will be an inspiration to new generations of our children, who walk by our Wall of Fame every day at school, and are reminded that everyone is capable of doing great things.”
At the ceremony, Nelson’s family will join Leake & Watts in celebrating her life. Her daughter will serve as a featured speaker. In the spirit of Black History Month, there will be a student dance performance called “Breaking Chains,” as well as a dramatic presentation of the speeches of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by Tyrese Jackson, a teacher at the Biondi School. At the conclusion of the program, George will unveil a portrait of Nelson, sketched by Biondi’s art faculty, which will hang on the Wall of Fame.
Nelson achieved many things in her life. She became Yonkers’ first African-American female police officer in 1964, and later became the first female to be promoted to the rank of detective.After retiring in 1986, she became director of security at the Hudson River Museum, trained safety officers at Columbia University and served as executive director of the Yonkers YMCA.
Protecting children was Nelson’s passion. She volunteered in Yonkers schools, and was hired by the Yonkers Board of Education as its first female court liaison. She worked with the judicial and school systems as an advocate for the interests of at-risk and incarcerated youth.
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