'A Community Hero': Upper East Side Leader Rita Popper Dies At 87

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — The Upper East Side has lost one of its fiercest champions.

Rita Popper, a member of Community Board 8 for nearly two decades and the president of the Knickerbocker Tenant Association, died on Monday. She was 87.

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City Council Speaker and Upper East Side representative Julie Menin described Popper as a "fierce community advocate."

"She was truly loved by her neighbors and fellow New Yorkers," Menin said. "We thank you, Rita, for your tireless service, advocacy, and commitment to your city."

Popper, during her time on Community Board 8, championed initiatives including designating East 91st Street as James Cagney Place and getting it officially registered with the city as a pedestrian plaza.

"James Cagney Place, a vehicle-free oasis in the midst of a crowded city, is now one step closer to being preserved as an 'Open Air' space for this community district's more than 220,000 residents, one of the most densely populated districts with the least open space per capita," Popper said in 2017, on behalf of the Friends of James Cagney Place.

Popper also left her mark on the neighborhood by advocating for the Ruppert Park renovation, which is now underway.

The $8,894,000 renovation, which started this summer and will go until summer 2027, will add several new playground structures, nine swings and several water features for children ages 6 months through 12 years, as well as a revamped seating area and a dog park with top-of-the-line turf.

"She tirelessly advocated for the renovation of Ruppert Park — we're all sad she's not going to see it come to fruition," Valerie Mason, the chair of Community Board 8, told Patch.

Popper's son, Adam Popper, called the Upper East Sider "truly an original" in an Instagram tribute.

Adam Popper wrote that his mother was a school teacher, an award-winning copywriter and brand specialist, and even Miss LIU.

"At 4'11'', she was a force well beyond her small frame," Adam Popper wrote. "Articulate and eloquent, she was not beyond dropping an "F-Bomb" to make her point known."

In her later years, she also wrote a novel called "The Decision," which was published in July.

Though Popper left the Community Board when her tenure was up, she stayed on as a public member of the board, attending parks and arts committee meetings.

"She's been a constant confidant and advisor. I'm already missing that," Mason said.

Popper was always kind and respectful in meetings, despite her fierce advocacy and strongly held convictions, Mason said.

"She did it in a beautiful way," Mason said. "She was the person everyone wanted to emulate with their advocacy."

Mason said the Community Board plans to rename its annual art fair after Popper, in honor of her dedication to the event.

"She was a community hero," Mason said.

For questions, email Miranda.Levingston@Patch.com.