WHEREAS, Ms. Bernice Dobbins-Sharpe, a life-long West Philadelphian, is an integral part of her community’s fabric, and has been for a century. Her parents, George and Laura Dobbins, moved to Philadelphia from Essex County, Virginia during the Jim Crow era; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Bernice attended Martha Washington Elementary School and is a proud member of West Philadelphia High School’s class of 1943, where she was a member of the Glee Club, Treble Clef Club, and Leaders Club. She focused her studies on home economics; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Bernice is the loving mother of two daughters, Sheila and Juanita, as well as the loving grandmother of nine grandchildren, nine great grandchildren, and seventeen great great grandchildren; and
WHEREAS, After high school, Ms. Bernice followed in her father’s footsteps to work at the Postal Service for a decade. She then went on to work as a nurse at the Philadelphia Naval Hospital for 31 years, specializing in pre-and-postnatal care. She caught a lot of babies. Her favorite part of being a nurse was “being able to help the people”; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Bernice has been an active member of Philadelphia Ebenezer Seventh-day Adventist Church since she was a child. She has followed her faith in a lifetime of service, and devoted herself to the improvement and enrichment of her communities, her neighborhood and her family; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Bernice resides on the 5200 block of Webster St., where she is beloved by generations of neighbors. Residents of the block look forward to warm weather, when she entertains on her porch and delights passers-by with a warm greeting. In a community that prides itself for being tight knit, she is the true queen and matriarch; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, THAT THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, Hereby honor and recognize Bernice Dobbins-Sharpe for a lifetime of love and community-building, on her 100th birthday this June 4, 2025.
FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this Resolution be presented to Bernice as evidence of the support and admiration of the Council of the City of Philadelphia.
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