The Covid Catalog Gone Too Soon Florence Waites
The Covid Catalog celebrates Florence Waites of Pennsylvania
Florence Waites was born to Eva McCallister and James Harvey Waites. Her mother remarried Samuel Ford. She was born into a large family of 11, with seven sisters and three brothers including her.
She was a former hospital worker. Ms. Waites worked in environmental services at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital before she left work because of a back injury. She had eight children, including four stepchildren. She was known to feed neighborhood children anytime they stopped by. And, as those children grew up, they sought her advice, including on how to find a good job. She had also been a block captain for almost 40 years in the 2000 block of Manton Street, worked with a Point Breeze Town Watch program, and also met with the 17th Police District about keeping the neighborhood safe.
She died on 25th January 2021. In addition to her sister and son, Ms. Waites is survived by sons Allen, Robert, Reginald, and Calvin; a daughter, Gloria; 30 grandchildren; 30 great-grandchildren; 17 great-great-grandchildren; and four sisters and one brother. She enjoyed playing pinochle with friends, traveling, entertaining, cooking, and baking.
Florence Delores Waites treated everyone as equal and her impact on her community was so great. She was known as a mother to all in her neighborhood and kept all the children straight and out of trouble.
