Family: Son, Kelly, 27; twin daughters, Amber and Ebony, 23.
Education: Graduated from Westinghouse High School in 1970, attended University of Pittsburgh's Upward Bound program and received a medical insurance specialist certificate at Community College of Allegheny County during the 1980s. In September, Massey began studying for her bachelor's degree as a psychology major at Carlow College.
Occupation: Coordinator of Community Outreach at The Center for Victims of Violent Crime since June. In her work with the center during the past four years, Massey has served as an advocate, a coordinator and a supervisor at Allegheny County Juvenile Court.
Background: Massey became a victim's activist after the homicide deaths of two sons, Gerald Massey and Omar Wideman Massey, in 1993 — the same year her husband, Raymond Massey, died from colon cancer. An advocate from the Center for Victims of Violent Crime helped her through four mistrials, two convictions and one acquittal related to her sons' deaths. "I galvanized my strengths to search for answers and create a positive response to this devastating loss of life," she said. During those eight years, Massey worked with Parents In Action of Pittsburgh, a grass-roots organization formed by mothers who had lost their children to violence, to provide support to families in the same situation.
Noteworthy: Gov. Schweiker has appointed Massey to the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency's Victim Service Advisory Committee.
Quote: "Homicide … will continue to be recognized as a crime with living victims. Survivors are victims, as well as those who died. I will continue to bring that awareness to legislators — that survivors' rights, of victims and witnesses, have increased. My job is to be the voice of the survivor."
