Pearl Dorothy Collins Powe was born on June 14, 1926 in Baltimore MD but spent her entire life in Philadelphia. She was the only child of the late Richard Harry and Ora Theresa Bush Collins. She graduated from the Philadelphia High School for Girls. She received a B.A. degree from Howard University and while there became a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.
She was employed for almost 30 years by the Philadelphia Board of Education as a teacher and Home and School Visitor.
She married the late John Rogers Powe, Jr. in 1950. He preceded her in death in 1989. From this union there were two children, John Rogers Powe, III (aka Karim Muhammad) and Dr. Neil Richard Powe.
She was a member of the East Mt. Airy Neighbors from the inception, a member of Episcopal Church Women, Newman Young at Heart, and Little Brothers. She was on the Board of Riders Club and friends of Lovett Library, a Northwest Cancer Volunteer (Champion of Daffodil Days), and an active participant in political elections for many years.
In recent years, she participated in many research projects on Alzheimer’s Disease as a “normal control” such as the Aging Brain Cohort (ABC) Study at the Penn Memory Center at the University of Pennsylvania Health System since 2002 and as a volunteer at Keystone Hospice.
She had an insatiable quest for knowledge, forever seeking information. Her many friends often sought her for information regarding many things.
She leaves to cherish her memory -- two sons Roger and Neil, 7 grandchildren (Hadiyah Muhammad, Dr. Camille Powe Foster, Khalil Cook, Jasmine Powe Ruschman, Jameela Powe, Jewel Powe, Melanie Imaani Eneroth), 2 great granddaughters (Ava Cook, Maya Cook), 2 great grandsons (Julian Foster, Ellison Foster), cousins, nieces, nephews and extended family (the late Calvin and Vera Johnson family and the late Robert and Alma Johnson family) and many, many friends including 455 on Facebook.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests any donations be directed to the Penn Memory Center and Alzheimer’s Disease Center, 3535 Market Street, Suite 750, Philadelphia, PA 19104 (payable to “Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania”) or online by visiting www.PennMedicine.org/PMC and noting “in memory of Pearl Collins Powe”.
