Bess W. Ball, 93, formerly of Philadelphia, founder of marketing and communications firm BG&R Associates, former copublisher and editor of Tri-State Minority Yellow Pages, business leader, women’s advocate, volunteer, and mentor, died Sunday, April 23, of complications after a fall at the Carlisle at Palm Beach assisted living center in Lantana, Fla.
On May 2, the South Carolina House of Representatives passed a resolution to “express their profound sorrow … celebrate her life, and extend the deepest sympathy to [Mrs. Ball’s] family and many friends.”Her daughter, Gay Ball-O’Brien, said: “She was amazing and independent, a trailblazer, and ahead of her time.”
Adept at fundraising, obtaining grants, and forging alliances, Mrs. Ball served on the board of directors for more than two dozen organizations. She was interested in urban beautification and recreation, and was active as an adviser and mentor to program organizers and students at North Carolina Central University, her college alma mater, and West Philadelphia High School.
Mrs. Ball was featured in stories about her career and community activism by The Inquirer and other publications, and she shared a longtime family recipe for catfish stew in the 1970s and details of her activism in the Cobbs Creek neighborhood in 2001 with the Daily News. Expert at garment design and tailoring, she sold dresses and other clothing, hosted fashion shows, and modeled during her college years and when her children were young.