OCALA, Fla. – At the young age of 80, Mary Sue Rich left her post on the Ocala City Council after serving for 24 years.
Rich was the first black woman to be elected to the position. She represented the Northwest Ocala district. “I felt really good having a voice as a woman.
The other council members always respected me and my ideas and answered any questions. They also tried to encourage me. We always served well together,” Rich said.
Rich was born and raised in Ocala. She graduated from Howard High School in 1957 and went on to earn a degree in criminal justice from the University of Central Florida.