Alice Joy Wright

Alice Joy Wright was born on December 23, 1943, to Augustus Wright and Hazel Bell Wright. She was welcomed into the world by her older brother, Kenny, and raised in Wayne, Pennsylvania, in the historic community of Mt. Pleasant.

From the very beginning, Alice embodied her middle name — Joy.

She graduated from Conestoga High School and continued her education at Eastern College, with additional studies at the University of Pennsylvania and Temple University. Education was never simply academic for Alice — it was culture, awareness, responsibility, and growth.

Her professional journey was as dynamic as her spirit. She began her career at General Electric in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. Her love of culture and storytelling led her into the arts as Associate Producer for the gospel stage production Little Willie Jr.’s Resurrection, a role that took her to Detroit, Washington, DC, and London, England. She later served as Administrator for W. Cody Anderson at WHAT Radio.

Alice’s commitment to justice deepened through her work with the Pennsylvania Government’s Commission on African American Affairs. She went on to serve as Environmental Advocate for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Southeast Regional Office in Norristown, Pennsylvania — a role that positioned her on the front lines of environmental justice long before the term became mainstream.

Under the leadership of Reverend Dr. Horace W. Strand, Sr., she served as a member of the Chester Environmental Partnership. For more than 30 years, she stood firmly for environmental justice, for clean air, and for communities too often overlooked. She was steady, principled, and courageous in her advocacy.

She also worked at the Philadelphia Library, reflecting her lifelong devotion to books, knowledge, and cultural preservation. She was an avid supporter of the Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection at Temple University Libraries, where her cousin, Dr. Diane D. Turner, serves as Curator. Her home reflected her love for the Black experience, history, art, scholarship, and pride. She was a devoted collector of African American and African art and literature, and her spaces carried culture with intention.

For over 15 years, every Thursday, in heat, cold, sun, or rain, Alice volunteered with Mrs. Pat to feed the homeless on the Parkway in Philadelphia. It was not an occasional service. It was faithful service. Week after week, she showed up.

Alice promoted holistic living long before it was socially celebrated / the culture caught up. She practiced yoga decades ago — often found balancing upside down in a headstand, disciplined and fearless, with a smile on her face. In her later years, she embraced Tai Chi deeply and intentionally, moving with grace and mindfulness. She was vegan before it was widely embraced. She brewed teas, shared home remedies, and honored the connection between spirit, mind, and body long before such language became popular. She was an original — a freedom-seeking, whole-person advocate for wellness and justice alike.

If you ever visited Alice — or if she ever visited you — you likely left with a bag. Carefully curated and thoughtfully assembled teas, books, remedies, articles, and small treasures she believed would bless you. And if she came to your home, she would arrive with a bag she would begin unpacking almost immediately. It was her language of care. Her way of saying, “I thought about you.” What once may have felt like “all this stuff” now feels like sacred memory. And how many of those very things helped us when we needed them most. What a blessing it is to have been loved with that kind of intention.

When married to Brahin Ahmaddiya, Alice had a son, Anwar, her only child and her greatest legacy. She poured into him strength, independence, culture, and conviction. Through him, her spirit continues forward. He carries her charge, and through him, her work and her joy move on.

In her later years, one of her richest joys became her grandchildren. She shared a deep and joyful bond with her granddaughter, Ashai. Alice did not watch from a distance — she entered Ashai’s world fully. The two could be found playing for hours without distraction, without a phone, becoming whatever the imagination required — castles, explorers, adventures. Alice was the ultimate playmate and Ashai’s faithful companion. Their bond was deep, easy, and full of laughter.

She also shared a special and immediate bond with her grandson, Anwar, Jr., a connection that brought her visible joy and tenderness in her final years. Her grandchildren were a living continuation of her love.

Her bond with her cousin Diane was that of sisters. All of their lives, the two could be found side by side — at music festivals, art reviews, conferences, speaking engagements, plays, and community gatherings. They were culturally enriched, deeply connected, and steadfastly supportive of one another’s endeavors.

To those closest to her, she was sometimes called “Birds,” a name first given to her by her mother — a reminder of family roots and enduring connection.

Alice Joy Wright leaves a legacy of advocacy, scholarship, cultural pride, holistic wisdom, and unwavering service.

If you knew her, you knew joy.

You knew conviction.

You knew presence.

And in every breeze, in every quiet moment of reflection, in every act of justice and service — her spirit continues.

She is survived by her dear brother, Kenny (Gail); her only son, Anwar (Shenita); her beloved grandchildren, Ashai and Anwar, Jr.; her husband Fred; her close cousins: Diane (Pedro), Thomas (Lisa), Carole (Tomas), Ventnor (Leslie), and Barney (Blanche); her uncle, Calvin “Chiskey” and aunt Lenora; her nieces, Denise and Deidre; nephew, Kenneth, Jr.; great-niece, Bianca; her extended Mt. Pleasant family; devoted community of friends, Reverend Dr. Horace W. Strand, Sr., Mrs. Pat and many cousins, other relatives and cherished friends whose lives were touched by her life and service.

She will be laid to rest per her wishes at Theodore Rick’s Memorial Cemetery in Devon. A memorial service is being planned. Please check back for more details.

Family and friends may share pictures and stories of her J O Y on the guestbook on this memorial page. All are welcome to light a candle in Alice’s memory.