Jacqueline Mosley, First African American and Woman Mayor in Yeadon’s History, Dies at 91

Tribune Staff Report

Jacqueline Bogle Mosley

Jacqueline Delores Bogle Mosley, the first African American and first female mayor in Yeadon’s 105-year history, died Thursday, June 11. She was 91.

Affectionately called “Jacque” by family and friends, Mosley was born in Lynchburg, Virginia, the second-born and eldest daughter of John D. Bogle Sr., vice president and advertising director for The Philadelphia Tribune, and Roslyn Woods Bogle, a homemaker and columnist.

Mosley grew up in a house on North 10th Street in Darby, Pennsylvania, later moving with her family to Lincoln Avenue in Yeadon in her late teens. She was a gentle and obedient child who had a great deal of respect for both of her parents. Some say Mosley’s even-tempered personality was a trait she picked up from her mother — no one ever really heard Jacque yell — yet she knew how to stand up for what she believed.

Mosley attended Darby public schools and was known as an excellent student and competitive field hockey player. Both of Mosley’s parents stressed the importance of education, and she often noted that she and all nine of her siblings attended college despite coming from a large family.

Mosley earned her bachelor’s degree from Cheyney University and her master’s degree from Temple University. Her studies in education led her to a career as an elementary school teacher and reading specialist at James Rhoads Elementary School for 21 years and John Reynolds Elementary School for 18 years.

In her early 20s, Jacque married Walter Mosley, and from that marriage came her two beloved children, Mark Mosley and Méchelle Palmer. They moved to Providence Road in 1957, and Mosley lived on that block for the rest of her life, long after her divorce, befriending neighbors who became family along the way — the Fosters, the Paynes and the Scotts, who took care of one another over the decades they made Providence Road home.

Another home for Mosley was Union Memorial United Methodist Church in Darby. It was here that she met a group of friends she called “The Magnificent 7.” This close-knit group included her best friend and “bonus sister,” Thelma Whittington. Whittington said the group worked “like beavers” to do anything that needed to be done for the church. Mosley was the superintendent of Sunday school, part of the Inspirational Choir, a member of the pastor-parish relations committee, and a chair for Women’s Day, Vacation Bible School and the trustee board.

While she would later climb the political ladder in Yeadon Borough Hall, her seat on borough council was especially meaningful. Her father ran for borough council in 1955. In a speech she gave after joining the council in 1994, Mosley said, “What sticks with me was not that he lost, but his belief that Yeadon, one day, could and would change to reflect (all of its people).” While on borough council, she realized the impact she could have if she ran for mayor, stating, “I saw, and see daily, a whole new opportunity to make a difference.”

In her 1997 history-making run for mayor, Jacque ran against 16-year incumbent Republican Mayor James Mollan Jr. In November, she won by a 2-1 margin. “My dear father planted that seed in me way back then — a seed that blossomed on the day when I was sworn in not only as the first African American mayor but also the first woman mayor in the borough’s 105-year history,” she said proudly.

Mosley was sworn in with her brother Robert by her side, holding their father’s Bible under her hand. It was a sweet victory.

When Mosley stepped down from her position as mayor in 2009, she was 75. She continued to push for change in her community, even as a resident of the borough she called home. She also continued to serve as a member of the Yeadon Public Library Board of Trustees, a leader at Union Memorial, a member of the Mercy Fitzgerald board of directors and a mentor to many.

While her public achievements and work in the community were groundbreaking and admirable, Mosley seemed equally proud of being a mother and grandmother. As busy as she was, her children never knew it. She always made the time to be a mother, and the same could be said for her four grandchildren — Mark and Pamela Mosley’s daughters, Sherea and Janelle, and Méchelle and Hermond “Scoot” Palmer’s daughter and son, Jacqueline and Jordan — who affectionately called Mosley “MumMum.”

Every summer, she invited all four grandchildren to stay with her. In later years, they held a “Grands Weekend” together at least twice a year to keep the tradition going.

Although Jacque was in her late 70s and early 80s, she maintained her zest for life and adventurous spirit. She continued to travel, even taking her grandchildren on a trip to Mexico in 2017. There, even the guides leading the ATV excursion were surprised to learn Mosley was 83 when she joined her grandchildren for the ride.

Throughout her life, Jacque loved teddy bears and bridge — a card game she learned from her mother and at which she reached “master” level. All who knew her also knew she loved the Philadelphia Eagles. Mosley went to her brother Robert’s home each Sunday, and if he was not showing the game during football season, she would tell him, “I’m going home.”

Mosley’s daily dinner prayer always ended with “and make us always mindful of the needs of others,” a constant reminder and call to service for herself and those around her. As her children point out, Mosley not only spoke this civic-minded belief — she lived it.

Mosley was preceded in death by her parents, brother John Bogle and sister Roslynn Bogle. She leaves to cherish her memory and carry on her legacy: her beloved children, Mark (Sylvia) and Méchelle (Hermond); her treasured grandchildren, Sherea, Janelle, Jacqueline and Jordan; her siblings, Robert Bogle, Donald Bogle, Jeanne Charleston, Janet (Jerry) Schenck, Roger Bogle, Gerald Bogle and Jay Bogle; her dear friends in “The Magnificent 7,” Thelma Whittington, Marguerite Lockley and Mary James; devoted friend and neighbor Kenneth “Ken” Scott; a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, neighbors, colleagues and friends; and the citizens of the borough of Yeadon, whom she spent much of her life serving.