In Memory of Otis Thomas

In Memory of Otis Thomas by artist Robert Raven Rapisarda was located in the Ludlow neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Otis Thomas was a student at Ludlow Elementary, located across the street from the mural. Otis went out of his way to help children. He became inclined toward social responsibility from people he met growing up – the Jesuit priests who volunteered in his neighborhood, the counselors who guided him at the Boys and Girls Club. Their commitment touched him, and he followed their example. In 1987, the Boys and Girls Club named him “Young Man of the Year.” He was also a volunteer executive director of the Ludlow Youth Community Center at 6th and Master streets in North Philadelphia. But there were stumbling blocks. Thomas struggled in school and eventually dropped out. In 1991, while working as a youth counselor at the Boys and Girls Club, he was nearly electrocuted while plugging in a popcorn machine for a club party. He was hospitalized on and off since and suffered with a serious heart condition. He ultimately died of congestive heart failure in 1998. He was 29 years old.

Location Note: Mural no longer on view at this location (covered by construction ca. 2015).