By Karen Andrew
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Mrs. Love

Longtime teacher Bernice D. Love died June 4 at University Hospital. The Pleasant Ridge resident was 89.

Mrs. Love was born in Cincinnati in 1913. She attended Douglass Elementary School and graduated from Walnut Hills High School. She earned dual degrees in science and in education from the University of Cincinnati.

"She was a very tiny person in stature, but very generous and warmhearted and a lover of young people and knowledge," said her longtime friend Sheila Taylor.

A teacher for more than 36 years at Jackson and Hays elementary schools in Cincinnati, Mrs. Love taught math and science. She served as a teacher trainer for UC.

She was one of the first African-American teachers to appear on the WCET-TV educational show, Arithmetic for Sixth Grade - Measurement and its Application. She chaired the math curriculum revision committee and served as a presenter at state and national conferences.

Mrs. Love retired in 1973.

She volunteered at Hays School and in her neighborhood tutoring students in math to prepare them for the Walnut Hills test and later, the Ohio math proficiency tests.

She was a tutor at Bethel Baptist Church every Tuesday until her health limited her activities.

In 1987, she was honored by UC for her professional achievements.

Her memberships included 71 years with the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, the Cincinnati Chapter of CHUMS, Inc. and the Ralph Green Post American Legion Post Wives' Auxiliary.

She served as president of Sigma Omega Chapter, co-chaired the Great Lakes Regional Conference, AKA's national meeting, the Boule; and the AKA Reading Clinic (1974-88), which is a four-week reading clinic for West End schoolchildren.

She served as chairwoman of the Madisonville Senior Citizen Christmas party for 25 years.

Mrs. Love was preceded in death by her husband of 48 years, Charles Wesley Love, in 1990 and by a brother, Laconia.

There are no immediate survivors.

Services have been held.

Memorials: AKA Scholarship, P.O. Box 17194, Cincinnati 45217.

E-mail kandrew@enquirer.com