Rita Roy, real estate agent, fashion photographer, and great-grandmother of 10, dies at 98

Rita Roy, 98, of Philadelphia, a longtime top-producing real estate agent, fashion and portrait photographer, and “mother or grandmother to everyone,” died Friday, April 2, of bladder cancer at home in Center City.

Billed as “the mother of all Realtors” in her company ads, Mrs. Roy used her winning personality and tireless work ethic to attract lifelong clients and admirers. Beginning in 1980, she was a top agent at Jackson Cross Co. and Prudential Fox & Roach, and her last sale, after 35 years, came when she was 92.

Before that, she worked as a stylist with her photographer husband, designing the sets and arranging the subjects for wedding, portrait, and fashion shoots.

“She always looked for something interesting and challenging to do,” said her daughter Robin.

Born June 12, 1922, Rita Babbitt grew up in the Olney section of Philadelphia, graduated from Olney High School, and took classes at Temple University. The family story is that her phone number was in a little black book that photographer Charles Roy came to possess, and she accepted his offer of a date when he rang her up.

He took a portrait photo of her on their first encounter, and they married a year later, when she was 20. They went on to live in South Philadelphia, Mount Airy, and Center City; have children Robin, Vicki, and Phil; and spend 61 years together before he died in 2004.

At first, Mrs. Roy and her husband worked together in a studio on Walnut Street, specializing in wedding and portrait photography. After World War II, they opened the LeRoy School of Photography, and taught many Temple students and veterans seeking an education under the GI Bill.

They opened a fashion studio in New York’s Garment District in 1950 and photographed formal and wedding dresses for manufacturers and magazines for more than 35 years. She also managed her mother-in-law’s Blue Bird Bridal Shoppe on South Street for a while, and worked in the box office at her son’s cabaret theater, Grendel’s Lair.

“She did more talking to the customers than selling tickets,” her son said. “She was actually perfecting her real estate style.”

Real estate turned out to be an ideal second career for Mrs. Roy. Combining her gift of gab and graciousness with an insider’s knowledge of the housing market, she became one of the city’s top sellers by 1992.

She often sold someone’s old house and then helped them buy the new one. “She became a mother or grandmother to every buyer,” her son said. “That was her secret.”

In 1991, Mrs. Roy was the third-best overall producer in Philadelphia and the second-biggest seller, with $6.5 million in deals, for Jackson Cross.

In a 1992 article in the Daily News that featured the city’s top agents, Mrs. Roy said: “Age is really a matter of the mind. Let’s just say that at this point in my life, my competition is all the age of my children. … I enjoy going out with these young couples and singles. I’m having fun.”

She retired six years ago by accident when her colleagues misunderstood her intentions and arranged a goodbye gathering. She didn’t have the heart to ruin their party.

Mrs. Roy enjoyed traveling, and visited, among other places, Europe, China, Russia, and South America. She took her final journey when she was 96 and had a road trip to Florida planned for last year. But the pandemic kept her at home.

A service was held Tuesday, April 6, and all 10 great-grandchildren spoke about their unique connection with Mrs. Roy. “She made everyone feel important and special,” her daughter Robin said.

In addition to her children and great-grandchildren, Mrs. Roy is survived by four grandchildren, a brother, and other relatives. Another brother died earlier.

Donations in her name may be made to the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, 636 Morris Turnpike, Suite 3A, Short Hills, N.J. 07078.