Nick Danna/Tifton Gazette Ruby Reddick will receive PLIGHT Inc.'s Parenting Excellence Award on Thursday, Dec. 7.

Ruby Reddick is a Christian lady of great charm and grace who has spent her life parenting, teaching and giving of herself to others. Next week the Tifton community will have the opportunity to honor her as the recipient of the Parenting Excellence Award given by the PLIGHT organization.

Reddick is the mother of four children: Toybe Reddick, her daughter who works in Atlanta as the administrative assistant in Fulton County State Court; LaCara Reddick, her daughter who works as the special assistant to the associate director of the Children’s Aid Society in New York; JoAnn Reddick Guest, her stepdaughter who is the supervisor of curriculum and instruction for grades K-12 in the public school system in Roselle, N.J.; and Evans Reddick, her stepson, who is deceased.

Speaking of her daughters, Reddick said, “There is an abundance of love between us.”

She said she talks with her daughters every morning and evening, sometimes doing three-way calls. “We are just extremely close,” she said.

As she reflected on raising her daughters, Reddick recalled that she read them Bible stories, took them to Sunday School and church and had them recite Bible verses before the evening meal.

“I told them there was a source greater than anyone on Earth. That source was Jesus. I told them they could rely on Jesus,” she said.

Reddick said she kept her daughters active in Shiloh Baptist Church, singing in the choir, participating in church plays and programs. She encouraged their involvement in Little League, Girl Scouts and Brownies.

“I tried to take them to cultural and worthwhile things,” Reddick said.

She said her girls knew they could talk with her about anything.

Reddick said her daughters are excited about her winning the award. “Tobye and LaCara are coming to the banquet and JoAnn is sending a taped message,” Reddick said.

One suspects that “Mother Reddick,” as she is affectionately called by many, has mothered more than her own four children over the years. She has taught in the Tift County school system for 30 years, officially retiring in 1996, and unofficially retiring in 1998 after teaching two more years at the alternative school. She began her teaching career in 1954 as a student teacher at Tifton’s Industrial Elementary and High School. At the end of her student teaching she was offered a job and went to Matt Wilson to teach. In 1967, she transferred to Northside Elementary and eventually went to J.T. Reddick — named after her late husband — where she taught until her retirement.

Reddick stays active in the community, working as a Pink Lady at Tift Regional Medical Center. In August, she joined the Retired Senior Volunteer Program and writes to a young person in YDC every week.

“I have a card ministry,” Reddick said. “I send a card to people — anywhere, not just Tifton — who need encouragement, need to know someone is thinking of them, or need to know someone cares.

“I love helping people,” she said. “I try to do that every day of my life.”

Reddick also remains active at her church. She plays the piano or organ for the senior choir and teaches the young adults Sunday school class. She is on the deaconess board and is a former president. She serves on the missionary society and is a former president and secretary.

She is the widow of J.T. Reddick, an Industrial School principal who died in 1974. Since 1980, she has been involved with the J.T. Reddick Memorial School Fund, which is given to a deserving high school senior.

Reddick is also a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and has been Tift County’s Teacher of the Year.

“I’m originally from Bainbridge,” Reddick said. “I’m real close to my family and I travel to see them a lot.”

Reddick will be given the parenting award at the PLIGHT banquet to be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 7, at ABAC’s Donaldson Dining Hall. PLIGHT Director Lorenzo Williams said tickets are $15 for the meal and can be purchased at the door or by calling 386-4360.

This is the 18th year PLIGHT has given the award.



To contact reporter Jana Cone, call 382-4321, ext. 208.