RICHMOND -- About 50 people gathered in Whitcomb Court to remember and honor activist Annie Giles Sunday afternoon.
Folks said the 81-year-old worked tirelessly throughout her life make Whitcomb Court a better place.
Family members said Giles served on many boards, volunteered with voter registration drives, fed the hungry and helped fight crime.
To many people who gathered to honor her legacy, Giles was an icon.
James Minor, one of Giles' distant cousins, called her a pioneer that would be dearly missed.
Annie Giles
Richmond City Council member Cynthia Newbille remembered Giles as a hardworking woman that taught her so much.
"I am thankful that she was my Godmom," said Newbille said. "I am thankful. I cannot tell you how much I learned from her, how much I admired her."
Due to her commitment to Whitcomb Court, the city named a street in the neighborhood in her honor.
United Communities Against Crime Executive Director Charles Willis said Giles was more than an advocate for the community.
"I don't think there's another who can fill her shoes," Willis said. "I call her the mother of Whitcomb Court, and there's other patriarchs, but she's the mother of Whitcomb Court."
Giles' loved ones want people to continue to honor her legacy by being active in the community.
Funeral information was still being planned at last check. Click here for more information.
