Cedar Park Neighbors regrets to share the news of the recent death of one of our long time and most active members. Mrs. Mack was blessed with a long life which she shared generously with her community. She was 94 at the time of her death and family, friends and community members gathered to celebrate her life at a funeral held on March 22 at Mount Zion Baptist Church at 5015 Woodland Avenue.
Sarah Mack was the only daughter of Sheppard and Dolly Collins of Philadelphia. She married Frank Otis Adams Sr. in 1936 and the couple had eight children. Mrs. Mack’s roots go deep in our community. She attended Wilson School, Shaw Middle School, and West Philadelphia High School and completed two years at Community College of Philadelphia. After Mr. Adams death, she met and married Jacob Mack in 1971. Mr. Mack died in 1999. Mrs. Mack was employed in many positions, as a crossing guard and as a clerk for the Curtis Publishing Co. and the School Security Administration. She later worked as a home and school community coordinator.
Sarah Mack was a true community activist and wore many hats in her years of community service. She was an active member Mt. Zion Baptist Church. She served as a member of the community board for the West Philadelphia Free School, the Woodland Avenue Committee, the Southern Home for Children, the NAACP, the American Society of Friends Weekend Work Camp and Cedar Park Neighbors.
Cedar Park Neighbors greatly benefited from Mrs. Mack’s activism and leadership. She served on the CPN Board from 1975 through 1981 and then most recently served again from 2005-2007. While active in many CPN activities, Mrs. Mack notably served as Treasurer of Cedar Park Development Inc., formed in 1974 as a project of Cedar Park Neighbors at that time to develop nine blighted and abandoned properties on Hazel Avenue and the 800 and 900 blocks of S. 49th St. that were sold to owner occupants. In the early 1990’s, she also served on the board of the West Philadelphia Future Fund which raised and distributed funds to attract and support minority owned businesses in the Firehouse Market Project.
Cedar Park Neighbors extends sympathies to Sarah Mack’s family in this time of loss. She was a formidable presence in our community and a woman for whom we have deep respect and appreciation. Donations in her memory may be sent to the Sarah A. Mack Book Fund, c/o Mount Zion Baptist Church Scholarship Committee, 5015 Woodland Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19143