Family, friends and colleagues of Naomi Wallace, the retired director of the Tinney Community Center, gathered Thursday to say “thank you” to a woman who made a huge difference in Ansonia.
Known as “Miss RuthE” to most of the youngsters who attended the Tinney Center’s after-school program, Wallace provided affectionate guidance for decades as a volunteer, paid staff member and leader. She is also an active member of the Clinton A.M.E. Zion Church.
“She’s a great woman,” said Gregg Johnson, president of the NAACP in Ansonia and a former director of the Tinney Center.
Wallace retired when the Tinney Center closed last October.
Ansonia Mayor James Della Volpe read a proclamation extending the “heartfelt thanks” of the city to Wallace for her many years of service, especially “for her interest and assistance to the children of the community.”
U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro sent a certificate from the U.S. House of Representatives that also commended her for her work.
About 130 people from throughout the Valley and some former residents who traveled her from other parts of the state attended the reception at Ansonia High School.
Wallace said she usually shies away from things like this, but in this case she was very happy to be reunited with friends and volunteers she hadn’t seen in years, as well as those who grew up with her.
She said she started off as a volunteer and gradually began to take paid positions at the Tinney Center, which was run by the Ansonia Housing Authority and located adjacent to the Riverside Apartments.
“I was just interested in my community and what I could do,” she explained.
TEAM Vice President Diane Stroman said planning for the reception started last fall after the Tinney Center closed.
“We wanted to make it a community-wide event, because she touched so many lives,” Stroman said.
In his prepared remarks, Johnson listed many of the volunteer roles Wallace filled over the years, which also included membership on the TEAM Inc. board, chairman of the Valley American Red Cross Board of Directors, president of the Riverside Tenant’s Association and parliamentarian for the Ansonia NAACP chapter.
She also received numerous awards and honors over the years from church groups, community organizations, the American Legion, the Connecticut Post, the Valley Women’s Health Initiative and the Greater Valley Chamber of Commerce.
“There are no words that truly express the gratitude, respect and love we have for you, but we have to try,” Johnson said. “So today we say thank you, Ms. Naomi ‘RuthE’ Wallace. Our lives are better because you care.”
