On Saturday November 9th at 2pm, the Southwest Gardens Community gathered with Southwest community leaders and friends to plant a cherry tree to honor the passing of a “The Mayor of Southwest,” Ron McBee. Ron served as an Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner in Southwest from 2007 until the time of his death in Autumn 2013.

Ron was instrumental in managing the July 31, 2013 realization of SW Community Gardens. Once Fiskars Co. awarded the Project Orange Thumb grant in early 2013, Ron advanced the process of lining up arduous land-preparation tasks and wrangling permits from relevant city government agencies.

Ron is also fondly remembered as an advocate for our neighboring Amidon-Bowen Elementary School and Jefferson Middle School. Education was a cause close to Ron’s heart and Ron understood the educational and community-building role of public resource like the Southwest Community Gardens.

Ron McBee, 1945-2013

Photos courtesy of Saadia Athias