Kim Wylie, South Philadelphia community activist and social media influencer, has died at 59

Kim Wylie, 59, of Philadelphia, a community activist in her Point Breeze neighborhood, role model to family and friends, and social media influencer, died Monday, June 27, of cardiac arrest at her home. An official death certificate is pending.

Ms. Wylie grew up in the Grays Ferry section of the city, lived later in Point Breeze, and dedicated much of her life to helping others near her home base at 22nd and Mifflin Streets. “She was South Philadelphia,” said her daughter, Victoria.

Empathetic, patient, and familiar with the issues that can affect children, parents, and families, Ms. Wylie worked tirelessly to overcome the difficulties in her life and helped anyone who asked to navigate their own tough times. Her son Donte was murdered in 2008, and another son had been involved in gun-related violence, so she worked as the pillar of her daughter’s Donte Wylie Foundation, which was founded in 2009 to provide “a safe space for survivors of violence, individuals who caused harm, and community members to collectively heal and explore workable solutions to reduce gun violence.“

“She wasn’t the public face of the foundation, but she did much of the work behind the scenes,” her daughter said. “She was the silent one to the public but the backbone to me.”

In that role, Ms. Wylie used social media, her organizational skills, culinary expertise, and ability to connect with people to enhance the events and activities sponsored by the foundation. If an event needed publicity, she flooded her Facebook page with videos and information. If food was required, she did much of the cooking. If counseling was offered, she listened and shared lessons from her own life.

She played key roles at winter clothes and toy giveaway drives at Christmas. She supported resource improvement activities at local schools, book-sharing events, gun violence survivor support group meetings, and neighborhood days of random kindness.

She posted inspirational messages and scores of videos on Facebook about foundation events and neighborhood gatherings, and folks kept up with local developments by checking out her page. After her death, a friend wrote in an online tribute: “I once responded to one of your posts, how uplifting it was and that someone needed to read it and find comfort in it. Now I realize that I was that person.”

Born Aug. 3, 1962, in Philadelphia, Ms. Wylie graduated from John Bartram High School, attended Peirce Junior College, now Peirce College, and worked for a time at the Philadelphia office of the Social Security Administration. She married Victor Greenwood, and they had daughter Victoria and sons Kenyon, Andre, Donte, Darrell, Vaughn, and Dajuan.

Her husband fell ill about 20 years ago, and she served as his caregiver while raising her children and staying active in the neighborhood. Over the years, she helped people get off drugs, stay sober, deal with illness, and overcome adversity of all sorts.

She fed the homeless, provided school supplies, and gave money to the needy. Her motto was: There is no community without you. “She showed up for people,” her daughter said. “She supported everything. I don’t know how she had the time to do all the things she did.”

Often waking at 5 a.m. to start her day, Ms. Wylie liked to spend time at Reading Terminal Market and with her children and grandchildren. She enjoyed shopping, especially at Macy’s, and cooking. Barbecue, crabs, and potato salad were among her specialties, and she often posted videos about her favorite recipes and bargains she came across.

“Kim was very outspoken,” her family said in a tribute. “In other words, she had no filter. But to know her was to love her. She had a big heart and would do anything to help you. But she also didn’t have any problem telling it like it was.”

Ms. Wylie liked to dance to her signature song, “Luke’s Sheila featuring Melvin Riley,” and mingle with friends at local concerts. She smiled often, was outgoing and optimistic, made friends easily, and unofficially adopted other neighborhood children she loved like her own. She was married to her husband for nearly 40 years.

“She was full of life, and her energy was unmatched,” her daughter said. “She shared her life with everyone.”

In addition to her husband and children, Ms. Wylie is survived by 13 grandchildren, one great-grandchild, three sisters, a brother, and other relatives.

Services were Friday, July 8.

Donations in her name may be made to the Donte Wylie Foundation, P.O Box 20130, Philadelphia, Pa. 19145.