Gertrude Pinkney, a resident of Novi, Michigan, died on December 15th, 2018 at the age of 102. Funeral services arranged by The Dorfman Chapel.

Location of Service:

Graveside

Date of Service:

Monday December 17th, 2018

Time of Service:

1:30 PM  

Interment at:

B'nai Israel Memorial Gardens, 43300 W. 12 Mile Rd, Novi, MI

Officiant:

Rabbi Jeffrey Falick  

Shiva Information:

A Memorial Service celebrating Gertrude's life will be held on Sunday, December 30th, 2018 at 2:00PM at The Birmingham Temple in Farmington Hills

The family will be sitting following the interment through the evening at the residence of Henry and Shelley Pinkney, 28119 Danvers Dr. Farmington Hills MI 48334 Phone: (248) 730-5253  
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Charitable contributions:

Memorial donations can be made to the Farmington Public Library, the Social Justice Fund of the Birmingham Temple, or a charity of one’s choice.  

Family Members:

Gertrude Pinkney, aged 102, passed away peacefully at Fox Run in Novi, MI surrounded by her loving family and dedicated aides, Darlene Eliard and Ceylon Cheatham. Gertrude grew up on Tuxedo Avenue in Detroit and attended Central High School. She graduated with a Master’s in Library Science from The University of Michigan at age 20. She served as a reference librarian at public and private libraries in Detroit, New York, and Washington, DC. Her friends included the economist Alan Greenspan and the violinist Isaac Stern.

In 1944, she returned to Detroit and was the founding librarian for the Detroit Public Library’s Municipal Reference Library (MRL), which served the Mayor’s Office, City Council, and other city officials. She next moved to Washington to work at the Bureau of the Budget and witnessed the 1950 attempt on President Truman’s life. In the 1960s and 70s, she worked in the Detroit Public Library’s Main Library, and again as Chief Librarian of the MRL. She was the subject of a Detroit Free Press article by Ladd Neuman, “Not Every Civil Servant is a Villain.” Upon her retirement from the MRL, she received a proclamation from the Detroit City Council honoring her service. She continued her career as Head of Reference Services at the Wayne County Library System for several years, and led a team of reference librarians at the 1980 Republican National Convention.

In 1950 at a summer resort in the Adirondacks, she met a New Yorker, Irving Pinkney, and they married the next year. Several years later, they settled in Detroit with young sons, Henry and Fred. She continued her career while raising her family. In addition to working part time and then full time, she was an invited speaker at Wayne State University and authored journal articles and book chapters.

She and Irving were active members of the Birmingham Temple. She helped raise her grandchildren, Michael and David who lived close by, and Gabe and Greg whom she visited in Washington, DC. After Irving’s death in 1988, she lived in Farmington Hills and then Fox Run in Novi. She started a Know Your Neighbor column in the newsletter, swam, exercised, cooked, and led an active social life. She traveled with her family to Israel and Cuba. At age 80, she made latkes for an elementary school class and was always reaching out to help family, and old and new friends. Ten years later, she was interviewed in the book, “Positively 90” by Connie Springer.

She is survived by her sons Henry (Shelley) and Fred (Pam Sommers), grandsons (Mike (Brianna Lohr), Dave (Deepa), Gabe, and Greg), and great-grandchildren, Ari, Aanya, and Yohan.  

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