ROCK HILL, S.C. — A longtime Rock Hill mayor has passed away just 12 days shy of her 92nd birthday, our partners at CN2 News report.
Betty Jo Rhea was the first and only woman to be the city’s mayor in 1986, CN2 News reports, and she remained in that role until her retirement in 1998.
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Before becoming mayor, she was a city councilmember. In that role, Rhea chaired the council’s Sports Complex Committee and shared her vision of a multipurpose park with several amenities. It became a reality in 1985 with the opening of Cherry Park, a 68-acre athletic facility that was inducted into the National Softball Association’s Hall of Fame.
Rhea received the South Carolina Order of the Palmetto for her work in Rock Hill.
Current mayor John Gettys credits her with bringing sports tourism to the city.
“Betty Jo Rhea blazed a trail in Rock Hill. Her enthusiasm and work ethic led Rock Hill to rebound following the demise of the textile industry,” Gettys said in a statement. “Her push to build Cherry Park, the foundation of sports tourism, along with the foresight to diversify Rock Hill’s economy has led to our ongoing growth. Her work will never be forgotten, and neither will her positive devotion to her hometown.”
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