Gembala, Evelyn Macauley, “Scotty,” April 11, 2018, of East Falls, Philadelphia and Beach Haven, Long Beach Island.
Scotty was born in Craigneuk, Lanarkshire, Scotland in 1922. She graduated from Ogilvie College School of Social Science in 1945 and attended University of Edinburgh. Scotty was Chairman of the Scottish Education Department responsible for music, arts and drama in the schools of Western Scotland. She came to America in 1954 being mentored by then Commissioner Randy Wise during a one-year grant at University of Pennsylvania studying social issues confronting returning servicemen. She marveled at the Statue of Liberty and all it represented as she entered New York harbor on the RMS Queen Mary. She soon met Joseph E. Gembala, Jr, Esq. but returned to Scotland in March 1955 when her grant ended. He traveled there in June and said he wasn’t leaving until she married him which she did in August 1955 and they returned to Philadelphia. She worked as a social worker with Catholic Charities prior to having a family.
Scotty was a co-founder of The Royal Heritage Society and Ormiston Mansion. She was a member and President of the “Committee of 1926” at Strawberry Mansion and a member of the Fairmount Park Commission. She received many awards for her good works within the city of Philadelphia including from Mayors Wilson Goode and John Street. Although she became a naturalized citizen in 1976, Scotty was a royalist. She was a Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts, a member of the English-Speaking Union Board of Governors, and Daughters of the British Empire, William Blake Chapter having served as member and Regent. Because of her work with Sir John Boyd-Orr and the Diet for Britain following World War II, Scotty was invited to meet Queen Elizabeth in 2006 which was one of her crowning life moments.
Scotty was preceded in death by her husband, Joseph Edward Gembala, Jr, Esq. She is survived by her son Joseph (Tish Gill) and her daughter Rosaleen Parsons (Richard) as well as her grandchildren Joseph and Paige Gembala. Her burial will be private. Donations in her memory may be sent to Ormiston Mansion, 2000 Reservoir Drive, East Fairmount Park, Phila. Pa. 19121.
A celebration of Scotty’s life will be held at Ormiston Mansion on Sunday, June 10th, 1 -3 p.m.