Ralph Mason Scott Jr.

SCOTT, RALPH MASON JR., 58, a community organizer known for his work in environmental health, died January 12, 2012 at the Washington Home and Community Hospices in Washington, DC. Mr. Scott, a Washington, DC. resident for many years, had kidney cancer.

He was a tireless advocate for evidence-based federal policy on allowable blood levels of lead and other toxins in children, and for improved housing conditions, especially the reduction of lead hazards for children. He helped to write the Chicago tenant landlord ordinance while working at the Rogers Park Community Action Network in Chicago, and he was subsequently a co-founder and organizer at the Lead Elimination Action Drive in that city. He was lead poisoning project director at New Jersey Citizen Action and community projects director at the Alliance for Healthy Homes. He was a recognized expert in community organizing and lead abatement who supported and connected advocates throughout the US and around the world. One advocate said, "Ralph was a one-man social network before anyone knew what a social network was." In 2010, The Childhood Lead Action Project awarded him the National Hero Award in recognition of his outstanding leadership in working to eliminate childhood lead poisoning. Most recently, he worked as policy and outreach coordinator at Parents for Nontoxic Alternatives, where he served as co-investigator on a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation study to improve national policy on lead in drinking water. He also worked as a community organizer and national campaign manager at The Arc.

He was a regular contributor to the Washington Post Style Invitational and more proud of being a Loser than having an Inker. Family and friends will fondly remember him for his love of challenging crossword puzzles, dogs and cats (especially strays), local and national politics, a good chocolate chip cookie, and Converse "Chuck" sneakers. He was gentle and kind, just a really good guy. He was deeply loved and will be profoundly missed.

Mr. Scott was born in Elmira, NY. He grew up in Louisville, KY and graduated in 1971 from J.M. Atherton High School in Louisville, KY. He graduated in 1976 from the University of Chicago with a bachelor's degree in mathematics.

He is survived by his wife, Eun Mi Yu of Washington, DC; his parents, Alice and Ralph M. Scott, Sr, MD; and a sister, Susan Scott of Louisville, KY; and a brother, John Scott and John Scott's wife, Ann Torres of Washington, DC.

Memorial service is 1:40 p.m. Saturday, January 28, 2012 at Pearson Funeral Home, 149 Breckenridge Lane, Louisville, KY. Visitation noon until time of service.

In lieu of flowers, donations are suggested to Metropolitan Tenants Organization (http://www.tenants-rights.org/) Parents for Nontoxic Alternatives (pnalternatives@yahoo.com) TASH (http://tash.org/)or The Arc (http://www.thearc.org/).