Inez N. Fridley was a founding member of TRUNA and a lifelong advocate for Greenville, North Carolina, whose leadership helped shape neighborhoods, parks, and civic life.
On the afternoon of October 24, 2025, the City of Greenville dedicated the Inez N. Fridley River's Edge Park in honor our beloved friend, neighbor and visionary who did much to improve the quality of life not only in TRUNA, but also throughout the City of Greenville. This ceremony formalized the action taken by the Greenville City Council on November 14, 2024, following TRUNA's successful application to the Greenville Recreation and Parks Commission. The park, located along the South Tar River Greenway and dotted with trees planted by ReLeaf, embodies Inez's efforts to improve our neighborhood, protect the Tar River, enhance Greenville's tree canopy, and provide citizens with outstanding opportunities for recreation.
Born in Virginia on December 22, 1943, Inez completed her B.S. in Social Sciences degree at Virginia Commonwealth University in 1966 and moved to Greenville to accept the position of University Residence Counselor & Residence Supervisor at East Carolina University. There she pursued a Master's of Arts in Counseling Education degree, which she completed in 1970. From this time on, her commitment to building community, protecting the environment, and being of service led her to dedicate her life to her adopted home.
Her residence hall experience afforded her the opportunity to work directly with students, and she actively engaged in addressing mental health and women's issues. She established a life-long connection with the Sigma Sigma Sigma Sorority, on both the local and national levels. Settling first in the College View neighborhood and later on River Drive adjacent to the Tar River, Inez helped found the Tar River Neighborhood Association (now TRUNA). In the early 1980s, Inez was an active member of the Greenville Environmental Advisory Commission, which fostered the development of the city's historic preservation and greenway initiatives.
A Legacy of Civic Leadership in Greenville
First elected to the Greenville City Council in 1985, Fridley held her District 3 seat for sixteen years. She continued to advocate for community improvements, serving as a liaison on a range of commissions, with multiple terms on the Greenville Utilities Commission, Greenville Foundation, Greenville Historic Preservation Commission, and Greenville Community Appearance Commission. In the early 1990s she was instrumental in developing Greenville's recycling program and was a leading force in obtaining from the North Carolina Department of Transportation a $298,000 grant for the construction of the initial segment of the city's greenway system. When ground was broken for this project, the handout provided at the ceremony declared that the project had "come to symbolize the spirit of cooperation between City, ECU, and Greenville's citizens."
Fridley worked also to enhance Greenville's comprehensive plan and to preserve neighborhoods through effective zoning ordinances and code enforcement. She strove to improve transportation of all kinds (pedestrian, bicycle, streets, and public transit, including the Pitt-Greenville Airport). She championed the establishment of the Greenville Historic Preservation Commission and the local College View Historic District, and served on a committee that spearheaded the opening of Evans Street by removing the outdated pedestrian mall.
Having lost her home on River Drive in the aftermath of Hurricane Floyd in 1999, Inez continued to advocate for the public welfare through service on the Environmental Advisory Commission and the Housing Authority. When she completed her final term on City Council in December 2001, she left an impressive legacy of innovation, hard work, and service to her community. The same was true at East Carolina University, where she retired in 1998 as Associate Director of University Housing Services. She remained active in civic affairs until her death on March 11, 2024.
The veteran council member's campaign literature emphasized the support of "Friends and Neighbors for Inez Fridley." Indeed, she was a good friend and neighbor to folks in TRUNA and elsewhere in the city. Former ECU professor of biology Vince Bellis recalled at the park dedication how Inez loved to travel with friends to nurseries as far away as Virginia to find just the right plants for the garden of her home on Fifth Street. Those who sought Inez's advice on political matters, including Councilwoman Tonya Foreman, always found her eager to listen and then give thoughtful suggestions. Maury and Dru York, Inez's next-door neighbors, thought of Inez as being "omniscient." A lover of birds—especially owls—Inez described herself in a Christmas card she sent to the Yorks as a "wise old owl," and she was. The Yorks often hear an owl hooting in the big pine tree in Inez's front yard and drift off to sleep with fond memories of a great friend.
By Maury York