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Though his last name might cause one to think of rapidity and carelessness, Jeffrey Rush preferred a measured and thoughtful approach to matters, especially those with bearing on Queen Village. Pancreatic cancer claimed the 67-year-old Aug. 14, ending a distinguished life that seemed to cherish challenges and their subsequent solutions.
Originally from Seventh Street and Oregon Avenue, he resided with wife Kathleen McCann Rush at Christian Street and Columbus Boulevard, endowing Queen Village with his allegiance to social enhancement, with acute attention to green space and zoning, for 31 years. The Temple University alumnus and a U.S. Army product studied local matters tirelessly, choosing battles that divulged his penchant for decency and fairness. The Queen Village Neighbors Association, of which he was a two-time president, among many roles, benefited most from his tactful demeanor, with a December 2010 triumph against advocates for the embattled Foxwoods Casino project proving his love for the Delaware River waterfront.
That victory, a direct result on his belief that a gaming hall would tarnish the esteemed expanse, derived from his having served as the Central Delaware Advocacy Group’s vice chair. That body and the Interstate Land Management Corp., which he assisted for 20 years, added bulk to his résumé, but Mr. Rush cared only about bettering others’ welfare. Two months after the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board stripped investors of their casino license, he took another step toward solidifying neighborhood growth through his appointment to the Zoning Board of Adjustment.
His passing has left Queen Village, which he helped to acquire status as the city’s first Neighborhood Conservation District, forlorn, but his track record has his civic successors aware of the distinction between losing without giving one’s all and succumbing after displaying one’s courage.
“I’ve seen a lot of growth in Philadelphia and done what I could where I could to promote positive development,” Mr. Rush said in a February 2011 Review interview.
Contact Staff Writer Joseph Myers at jmyers@southphillyreview.com or ext. 124.
2012 Difference Makers
/ Joe Barbuto / Ella Best / Paul Bryson / Nicole Canale /
/ Jasmaine, Jeannine & Jenielle Cook / Erin Dougherty /
/ Duane Davis / Frank Franzini / Adé Fuqua / Bennie & Hilda Hudson /
/ Ray Innaurato / Ed McBride / Jeannine McGuire / Carrolyn Minggia /
/ Teri Ruiz & Leah Vodila / Jeffrey Rush / Rev. John Stabeno /
/ Marina Stamos / Anne Stanfield-Hagert / Charles Stecker / Megan West /
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