Jessie Juanita Pippins (February 2, 1927 – May 10, 2020) was an American registered nurse and AIDS activist. She was the co-founder of Miracle House, a housing facility for family members of those affected by HIV and AIDS.
Nita Pippins | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 2 February 1927  Dothan |
| Died | 10 May 2020 (aged 93) Manhattan |
| Alma mater | |
| Occupation | Nurse and activist |
Early life
editJessie Juanita Roberts was born in Dothan, Alabama, the daughter of Alto Lee Roberts and Junie Roberts. Her father was a cotton farmer. She studied nursing at Florida State University.[1]
Career and advocacy
editPippins worked as a psychiatric nurse before her retirement in 1981,[1] superintendent of the psychiatric unit at University Hospital in Pensacola.[2] In 1987, Pippins relocated from Pensacola to New York to care for her actor son, Nick Pippin, and developed relationships with his friends. After Pippin died in 1990,[3][4] Pippins co-founded and volunteered with Miracle House,[5][6] to provide housing and support for out-of-town families of AIDS patients.[7][8][9] "If I can help these families get to New York and survive it, then all these boys wouldn't have to die without their mothers."[10] She also founded a program to reunite AIDS patients with their estranged families.[11][12]
Nick Pippin's partner, Dennis Daniel, wrote a tribute to Pippins in 2007, marking her 80th birthday, titled "The Mother of Us All."[13] In 2010, NY1 News featured Pippins as the New Yorker of the Week.[14]
Personal life
editNita Roberts married Joseph S. Pippins. They had one child together, Nick, before they divorced in 1981. She died from COVID-19 on Mother's Day, May 10, 2020, at age 93.[1][15]
References
edit- ^ a b c Kurutz, Steven (2020-05-19). "Nita Pippins, a Mother to AIDS Patients, Dies at 93". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-06-08.
- ^ "A Busy Man". Pensacola News Journal. 1971-12-21. p. 13. Retrieved 2020-12-25 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Nick Pippin, 35, Dies; Founded AIDS Group (Published 1990)". The New York Times. 1990-07-29. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-12-25.
- ^ "Theater-Group Founder Dies". The Star Press. 1990-07-29. p. 32. Retrieved 2020-12-25 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Sontag, Deborah (March 12, 1992). "Haven in the Grim World of AIDS". The New York Times. p. B1, B6. Retrieved 2020-12-25.
- ^ Rostler, Suzanne (1994-02-13). "An AIDS-care Miracle Hits Son's Despair". Daily News. p. 258. Retrieved 2020-12-25 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Nita Pippins, New York's HIV Mom, Dies at 93". www.hivplusmag.com. 2020-05-21. Retrieved 2020-06-08.
- ^ Straube, Trenton (2020-05-21). "R.I.P. Nita Pippins, a Mother to Many Dealing With AIDS". POZ. Retrieved 2020-06-08.
- ^ Kaufman, Michael T. (June 1, 1994). "ABOUT NEW YORK; Helping Kin Of Those With AIDS". The New York Times. p. 25. Retrieved 2020-12-25.
- ^ "Quotation of the Day". The New York Times. March 12, 1992. p. 2. Retrieved 2020-12-25.
- ^ "Oprah: sons and daughters you never know". January 1994. Retrieved 2020-06-08.
- ^ "Nita Pippins, a maternal figure to countless AIDS patients, dies at 93". TODAY.com. 7 June 2020. Retrieved 2020-06-08.
- ^ Daniel, Dennis (2007-05-01). "The Mother of Us All". POZ. Retrieved 2020-12-25.
- ^ Pippins, Nita. "New Yorker of the Week". YouTube.
- ^ Boone, Ruschell (May 22, 2020). "Nita Pippins, AIDS Activist, Dies of Coronavirus". NY1. Retrieved 2020-12-25.