Mary Brill, a prominent community organizer who inspired and empowered Sacramento residents to get involved in efforts to improve their quality of life, died Saturday at age 59.
She died of breast cancer, said her sister, Heidi.
Ms. Brill was widely known among policymakers as one of the most effective neighborhood activists in the region. She was a founder and president of the Sacramento County Alliance of Neighborhoods, a coalition of more than 100 associations that gave communities a voice in the halls of government.
She brought housing, environmental and transportation advocates together to lobby for "smart growth" principles, affordable housing policies and healthy neighborhood living conditions. She organized community involvement in writing a regional transportation plan for the Sacramento Area Council of Governments.
"People with projects knew it was good to talk to Mary early on," urban planner Seann Rooney said. "If you got her on board, you could count on her to spread the word and get people involved."
Ms. Brill volunteered with groups to improve neighborhood quality of life, especially for children. She helped found Sacramento ENRICHES, a program for child health, education and safety. She joined initiatives promoting gun- and drug-free zones, after-school activities, conflict resolution and crime prevention.
"If there was something that was good for youth, neighborhoods or underserved groups, Mary was usually involved," activist Jackie Boor said. "If it was something that was bad, Mary would help you find a way to fix it."
Ms. Brill was resourceful and relentless. She attended countless government meetings and immersed herself in staff reports. She organized supporters and spoke out at public forums. She buttonholed elected officials, who admired her devotion to building better communities.
"Mary was a person who would never give up on her cause," said state Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, a former Sacramento City Council member.
"She had a vision, and she was not going to take no for an answer. It was a lot easier after a while just to say yes than it was to argue with her."
Born in 1950 in Menlo Park, Ms. Brill was inspired by her parents to make a difference. Her father, William Brill, was a civil engineer who was active in politics and ran for San Jose City Council. Her mother, Betty, was a homemaker and community advocate for children and seniors.
Ms. Brill received many honors for her community involvement. In 2005, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and first lady Maria Shriver honored her as woman of the year.
For such a prominent figure, however, she was a private, unpretentious and independent woman. She shunned attention, often blending in at public meetings in T-shirts, Birkenstocks and a cap.
Never married, she lived alone in a small apartment in South Land Park. She rarely spoke about health problems in recent years – including a brain tumor and multiple sclerosis – that forced her to attend meetings in a wheelchair.
"She just kept busy and kept positive," her sister said. "It's what she knew and what she had always done. She told me that she really loved life."
Call The Bee's Robert D. Dávila, (916) 321-1077.
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