In the 1940s, she earned an undergraduate degree in social work and a master’s degree in education from New York University. For over thirty years, she taught public school students and enjoyed playing the piano for them. Her career began in Wilmington, Delaware, where she was one of the first African American educators in the city. Most of her career was dedicated to teaching kindergarten students at Bache Elementary School and Hamilton Elementary School in the Philadelphia Public School District.
During her retirement, Mom volunteered at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia for over a decade, tutored illiterate adults, and devoted her time to Associated Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired (ABVI) by recording books and periodicals. In 2006, one of her paintings was featured on the poster for the Flower Market, the annual flower show held in Rittenhouse Square Park in Philadelphia.
She passed away from small-cell lung cancer on January 11, 2008, after receiving exceptional care at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Mom participated in clinical trials, including Erlotinib, which extended her life for several years beyond the original prognosis while maintaining its quality.
Her legacy as a teacher endures in the countless lives she impacted throughout her career. Delores Inez-Pollard’s examples of humility, perseverance, kindness, strength, and faith continue to inspire her students, colleagues, friends, and family.
