Mary Vallati was honored with a street renaming just outside where she lived. Now, those who knew Vallati will tell you she was a person with a real love for the community up until the time she passed away last year. At 102 years old, almost 40 years after the average age of retirement, Vallati continued volunteering her time for causes seen as vital to the community.

She was there to hand out raffle tickets at 52nd Precinct Community Council gatherings, and doing her part sending mailers for upcoming Bedford Mosholu Community Association meetings. At 102 years old you can’t ask for anything more. She proved her mettle in her earlier years, standing up against young people who dared to disgrace Mosholu Parkway, picketing against the closing of a precinct, and even standing up against local greed when a supermarket mogul closed up shop.

Vallati’s sense of duty still rings in the Norwood and Bedford Park sections of the Bronx, which need stalwarts like her to root out poor quality of life concerns. She stood among the louder voices for those types of causes, and it’s clear she’s deserving of a street renaming.

The honor should serve as inspiration to anyone who thinks their volunteer work is going unnoticed. It’s bittersweet in general for street co-namings, which are traditionally dedicated to those who’ve passed away. But those who seek inspiration should look up at the corner of Perry Avenue and East Mosholu Parkway South to find a new street sign named for someone who put in the work, and is now remembered for it.