Queer
Places:
Mount Sinai Memorial Park
Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, USA
Mollie Abzug Pier (August 6, 1920 – April 28, 2016) married David Pier in 1943, and together they moved to Los Angeles in 1953 and raised Ken, Jerry and Nat. Mollie worked for the LA Unified School District for 25 years as an office manager at several elementary schools before retiring in 1981, and she volunteered her time with the Andrus Gerontology Project at USC, with Elder Wisdom, and with AIDS Walk Los Angeles. Most notably, Mollie was one of the founders of and an active cook for Project Chicken Soup, a non-profit organization that prepares and delivers free nutritious meals to people in the greater Los Angeles area living with HIV/AIDS, cancer, and other serious illnesses. For more than 25 years, Mollie led a team of cooks in the PCS kitchen and conducted outreach efforts to clients prior to meal deliveries, and she remained active in PCS up until her passing.
In the late 1970s, Mollie’s son, Nathaniel, told his mother he was gay. Mollie joined Parents and Friends of
Lesbians and Gays and became an activist for gay civil rights; work that Mollie continued for many years in
myriad ways, including: advocating for marriage equality, talking to youth at the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian
Center and supporting the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles.
After graduating from Albert Einstein Medical School, Nathaniel became one of the first doctors to treat
people with AIDS in New York City. Dr. Pier was widely recognized for his knowledge, skills and compassion. In
December 1989, Nathaniel died of AIDS. Determined that Nathaniel’s memory and short life would not be
forgotten, Mollie played a pivotal role in organizing Project Chicken Soup (PCS) knowing she needed to turn
her grief into positive action to help people living with HIV/AIDS.
A committed gay rights activist, Mollie dedicated herself to advocating for marriage equality, talking to youth at the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center, and supporting the Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles. Renowned for her cooking and baking skills, Mollie always brought cookies and treats to people close to her and organizations she belonged to.
For more than 25 years, Mollie spent 4 hours twice each month calling clients prior to meal deliveries and
leading a team in the PCS kitchen. While she had recently reduced her kitchen activities, Mollie continued
using her cooking skills to nurture people with illnesses in memory of her own son who used his medical
knowledge to help people with HIV/AIDS.
Widowed young, Mollie never stopped learning or involving herself in making the world a better place. She participated in numerous Elder Hostels as a senior, traveled to Israel in her 80s, and stayed active in social media. She was
featured in a book by Lois Frankel called Ageless Women, Timeless
Wisdom.
My published books:
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