Legendary Actor, Author And Activist Ruby Dee To Be Honored At Memorial Celebration

The life and legacy of actor, author, and civil rights activist Ruby Dee will be honored with a public memorial celebration on Saturday, September 20th at The Riverside Church in New York at 11:00 AM. The service will feature tributes and reflections from family, friends, and colleagues who were influenced by her outstanding life and work.  

Ms. Dee, who died on June 11, 2014 at the age of 91, was a lifelong advocate for initiatives supporting the arts, education and civil rights. In her memory, the family suggests that donations be made to the following:

• The Ruby Dee Memorial Fund at Hunter College. Dee, a graduate of Hunter College High School in 1939 and Hunter College in 1944, loved her alma mater. The memorial fund will support the renovation of the Hunter College Library, an ongoing project which is creating a new, state-of-the-art facility for today’s college students. If you would like to honor Dee’s commitment to public education, you may send a check payable to the Hunter College Foundation (695 Park Avenue, East 1313, New York, NY 10065). Please note on the check or in a separate note that your gift is for the Ruby Dee Memorial Fund.  If you would like to donate online, please go to https://community.hunter.cuny.edu/donatenow. On the “donate now” page, go to the designation box and choose “Ruby Dee  Memorial Fund” from the drop-down menu.

• Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. To support programs of the National Arts and Letters Commission, you may send a check payable to Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. (1707 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC. 20009) in memory of Ruby Dee.

• Your Local Community Theatre. If you would like to honor Dee’s lifelong commitment to theatre, you may make a donation in her name to the community theatre of your choice.