Remembering Mother Rose, the pillar of Oak Park who lifted her community with generosity and energy
SACRAMENTO – She's known as the pillar of Oak Park and a woman who lifted her community with boundless energy, generosity and that signature smile.
Georgia Peat West, known as Mother Rose, died recently after losing her battle with cancer but it's how she lived her life and cared for others that's leaving lasting memories and a legacy of love.
"What I realize about my mom is she was not only a mother to me and helping raise me and nurture and guide me, but also to many of those around her," Ronnie West said.
Ronnie speaks candidly about his late mother Georgia.
The second-generation Sacramentan, known as the matriarch of Oak Park, led the charge to revitalize her community. In 2003, the registered nurse turned businesswoman opened her own bookstore.
"It's being a familiar face, a loving spirit and she definitely embodies that as a nurse. She carried that same skill set over to the bookstore," Ronnie said.
Part of the 40-acre cultural center in Oak Park, Underground Books on 35th and Broadway became a place where the community could access their own history and learn about the African American experience.
"This concept of a bookstore is so important in a neighborhood that for decades had no library, had no preschool. There just weren't options for kids," Ronnie said. "So it was important to preserve the legacy of black people through this bookstore."
Looking back at her life, Ronnie beams as he describes his mother's natural-born talent who overcame adversity at a young age during difficult times.
"She grew up playing sports. She was a great athlete," Ronnie said. "She was actually qualified for a national championship in speed skating but was unable to participate because, at the time, people of color were not allowed to participate."
It's through those experiences, Ronnie says, that her fighting spirit was formed.
Ronnie, a marketing executive, is the younger brother to Kevin Johnson, the first African American mayor of Sacramento and former NBA star.
And while they are 16 years apart, they both played college basketball, with their loving mother always cheering them on.
"She attended almost every game, sat in the front row. She was the first person in the arena every day she wore pom poms and adorned and cal bears attire. She danced with the cheerleaders. She was the fan of the game on the jumbotron frequently," Ronnie said.
Her personality was larger than life. Johnson then thought she deserved her own moniker.
"So she needed kind of a nickname, like a cognomen that people can refer to her beyond our immediate circle and just the two of us. And that's where Mother Rose came to life," Ronnie said.
Kamuri Spears worked with Mother Rose at Underground Bookstore.
"True sense of community," Spears said. "She taught me how to have compassion for people."
In the years she spent working with Mother Rose, she understood her passion, drive and love for her community.
"She was very tough on everybody but that's been good for everyone she was tough on," Spears said.
She provided a safe space in Oak Park, teaching lessons in life, one page at a time.
"Just wanted everyone to enjoy their passion for reading," Spears said.
"All those who had the opportunity to be around her, all those who met her, all those who experienced her, will carry that love with her and pay it forward," Ronnie said.
In a statement to CBS13, Johnson said, "Mother Rose was an institution in Oak Park and she will be sorely missed. Her grace, commitment to community, loyalty and enthusiasm were unrivaled. We take solace in the fact that she has left an indelible mark on the community that will far outlive us all."
A celebration of life honoring Mother Rose is scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 23 at Saint Paul Church in Sacramento.
