Annamarie Strawberry, former secretary to city and state elected officials, dies at 64

Annamarie Strawberry, 64, a former secretary for State Sen. Vincent Hughes and, later, former City Councilmember Blondell Reynolds Brown, died Friday, Aug. 14, from congestive heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at Kearsley Rehabilitation & Nursing Center.

Ms. Strawberry spent a lifetime caring for others. As a young woman, she attended Wilberforce University in Ohio, but she left college and returned to Philadelphia to raise her 1-year-old son and care for her ailing mother.

Years later, she became the caregiver for her younger sister and worked as a counselor for senior citizens at what was formerly called Haddington Multi-Services for Older Adults in West Philadelphia.

Born in Philadelphia in 1955, she was the older of two daughters of Jerome and Rosalie Strawberry. She graduated from West Philadelphia Community Free School, a unit of West Philadelphia High School, in 1974. She majored in biology at Wilberforce, where she was also a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority.

When Ms. Strawberry returned to Philadelphia, she found clerical work with Hughes and Reynolds Brown. She then worked with the elderly at the older adult center.

Her son, Charles, called his mother a loving and caring woman with a bubbly personality.

“She was a social butterfly,” he said. “She was a teacher and nurturing. She tried to keep my eyes open to the world and make sure I had everything I needed to be successful.“

Ms. Strawberry enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren and shopping with her sister, Rosalie.

She was a dedicated member of her sorority and volunteered for service projects until she became too ill.

In addition to her son, Ms. Strawberry is survived by three grandchildren and other family and friends.

There will be a viewing from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 5, at Camphor United Methodist Church, 5620 Wyalusing Ave. Funeral services will be private.