Grove activist, Mrs. Frankie Rolle, passes on

Mrs. Rolle

Coconut Grove is mourning the loss of one of our pioneers, Mrs. Frankie Rolle, who passed away this week. Many people have asked me over the years who the post office is named after, it is Mrs. Rolle's husband, Billy Rolle, while the gym at George Washington Carver Middle School, where Mrs. Rolle worked for 42 years was named after her. and the Frankie Rolle Neighborhood Center; this is where the Village Council meets monthly.

Mrs. Rolle moved to Miami in 1946. She was called the "mother of the community," as she was part of everyone's lives in Village West. She stepped in where she felt needed. Mrs. Rolle was instrumental in starting the Goombay Festival in the 1970s so as to share the Bahamian history of Coconut Grove's roots.

There will be a litany service at 5 pm Sunday, February 16 at Christ Episcopal Church (3481 Hibiscus Street). The funeral will be at noon Monday at the church.

You may see the whole obit here at the Herald.