Anna Pearl Hoskins

Anna Pearl Hoskins was a role model to many people because she was a child of God.

She stood for so many good things - but what was beneath everything she did was her drive for dignity.  It was woven into her love of God, church and family, her desire to achieve at work and her persistent expectations for young people.  On that last goal, she wanted so much for our young people to understand what it meant to stand up with pride, to speak well and to present themselves even better.  Based on how most folks remember her: firm but fun, she succeeded.

Born Anna Pearl Ruff in Cincinnati on May 19, 1944, to Georgee Mae and James Ruff, she was raised in the hey days of Lincoln Heights and Avondale with her now deceased older brother, James Ruff and younger brothers Monroe Ruff, Carl Ruff and Anthony Overton. 

Living on a close-knit block of Whittier Street in Avondale, she attended St. Andrews for elementary school, Samuel Ach for junior high and graduated from Central High School.  It was in her early years in Avondale that she formed close bonds with life-long friends such as Margaret Walker and ever since, they maintained the love and support implied in the proverb, Hold onto your friends with both hands

She married her love, Alvin Hoskins in 1964 only to lose him within the year to the hazards of war in Viet Nam – just months after arriving there. Their son, Alvin E. Hoskins never got to meet his brave dad. 

While she was blessed with the support of her mother and brothers, she had a can-do spirit that carried her forward after such a tragic loss.  She honed her customer service and administrative skills working at the Internal Revenue Service – where she spent the next 45 years as a leading tax consultant, answering thousands and thousands of customer service inquiries every year.  At the IRS, she was known for her helpful and courteous interaction with customers and the bright personality she brought to the workplace.  

For a time, she lived on Cincinnati’s West End in the Laurel Homes.  She moved to the Fay Apartments not long after they were built. That was a very close-knit neighborhood full of pride and folks striving to get ahead in the late 1960s.  Expressing her faith and love of God, she became an active member of St. Stephens Church.  Over time, she opted to be with her mother and join the Corinthian Baptist Church, coming full circle to her Whittier Street roots. Right away, she became a member of the Inspirational Choir, holding down a solid position on that mighty alto row.  She would bring so many of us to tears with her lead role in singing the anthem of her faith, God Is.

Eventually, she helped found Corinthian’s Theater ministry and became known for her strict expectations for performing youth to stand up straight, speak clearly and so that people could hear and understand the lines.  This was yet another way for her to guide and ground our young people in dignity.

Anna was a proud member of the Ach-Hughes alumni foundation.  They represented a proud generation that knew what it took to make it through the civil rights battles of the 1960s. An ambassador of that dignity in her own right, she knew, as Harriette Cole wrote, “How to Be”.

She did not suffer foolishness long (one of her favorite sayings was, “I ain’t on it!”) - but let’s not forget that through all of that responsibility and mentoring for dignity, she had fun.  She brought perhaps the greatest, fullest, compelling - and unapologetic laugh that most of us knew.  And she loved to dance. The only girl among her siblings, she’d tease her brothers to no end – BUT ever the big sister, she’d maintain that was only her province.  Anyone else that dared to come at them would get an earful!

Through it all, she found her greatest legacy in the love she held for her son and his children. She made sure that Alvin was able to participate in all kinds of activities. Through karate, bowling and Tomahawks football she was always there on the sidelines rooting for him.  She will always be there, rooting for all of us. She was a loyal friend, sending birthday cards and flowers, sometimes for no reason at all. In her final months, she was where she needed to be, right next to her loving son, Alvin and his family.  Anna is survived by her only child, Alvin, daughter in-law Guyonna, grandchildren Ryan, Kennede and Peyton, great grandchildren Amoni, Legend and Ja’Siah plus many proud nieces and nephews. Her surviving brothers, Monroe, Carl and Anthony will forever remember her laughs, her teasing and her push for dignity. 

She lived to fulfill the idea of Each One, Teach One.

So, consider doing the same - and as she would want you to, speak clearly, stand up straight, dress with dignity, avoid nonsense, and wait on the Lord because GOD IS.

In Lieu of flowers, the family asks that you consider supporting the programs of the Corinthian Baptist Church. which reflect her home, her compassion.

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