Governor Ed Rendell was among the hundreds of people who came to pay tribute to long-time Chestnut Hill resident Ernesta Drinker Ballard at a memorial service at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church on Friday.
Ballard, who died Aug. 11 at the age of 85, was a giant in Philadelphia’s horticultural and preservation circles, a founding member of the National Organization for Woman, published author and respected administrator responsible for bringing the Philadelphia Flower Show to international prominence.
In his homily, Ballard’s cousin, the Rev. Hentzi Elek, remembered her as a feminist, leader and “mother to many in this great city … [who] shared her gifts and talents with everyone she encountered.”
Pennsylvania governor Ed Rendell at the funeral of Ernesta Drinker Ballard on Friday. (Photo by James Sturdivant)
Ballard was perhaps best known as chief executive officer of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. She held the job for 18 years, instituting the Philadelphia Green program and transforming the famous flower show into what it is today. After being appointed to the Fairmount Park Commission in 1981, Ballard spearheaded the renovation of Swann Fountain at Logan Circle and was involved in the restoration of the Fairmount Waterworks. She chaired the National Abortion Rights Action League for two years and fought for the Equal Rights Amendment.
Rendell told the Local that he had come to Chestnut Hill “to honor the ultimate citizen soldier.”
“I love people with passion, and Ernesta had passion for everything” he said. “She had a great generosity — always for other people. It’s so rare to find people like that.”
Ernesta Drinker Ballard
