Memorial honors Mary Brill

2009-11-22T00:15:41Z

More than 125 people gathered Saturday to honor community activist Mary Brill.

Brill died Oct. 24 from breast cancer. She was 59.

Friends, family, politicians and others active in the community met at Florence T. Clunie Memorial Auditorium to pay tribute to Brill, who co-founded and led the Sacramento County Alliance of Neighborhoods. She led work on issues that included affordable housing, living conditions, transportation and smart growth.

State Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg of Sacramento and former Sacramento Mayor Heather Fargo were two of the speakers at the memorial.

“She was the bravest person I ever met in my life. She was the strongest person I ever met in my life. And she was the most humble person I ever met in my life,” Steinberg said.

Even as she fought breast cancer, an inoperable brain tumor and multiple sclerosis, she continued to give to the community and to be concerned about the welfare of others, he said.

Inside the hall, guests said they were surprised to see a table full of awards including a Human Rights award from the Human Rights/Fair Housing Commission of the city and county of Sacramento and a Citizen of the Year Award from the Sacramento Area Council of Governments in 2005. She was recognized as Woman of the Year by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2005.

However, Brill had many more — at least 100 awards in all — that she kept hidden away and never mentioned to close friends until recently.

“The thing about these — we didn’t even know she had these. She was just so modest,” said Leslie Palmer, who became close friends with Brill after they met while Brill was working on issues involving South Sacramento’s Meadowview neighborhood.

“The other thing about Mary: There’s nobody like her in terms of community organization,” Palmer said. “That I know.”

Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "sacramento county alliance of neighborhoods"

Memorial honors Mary Brill