Tears mixed with laughter in Forest Hills on a rainy Tuesday night as dignitaries, civic leaders, friends and loved ones said goodbye to a civic legend.
Dozens upon dozens of people packed the Schwartz Brothers Forest Park Chapel at Queens Boulevard in Forest Hills Tuesday for an emotional memorial service remembering the life and achievements of Patricia Dolan, a longtime community activist and president of the Queens Civic Congress, who was killed on Nov. 15 when she was struck by a car at night in Hollis while on her way to a meeting.
Those in attendance at the service included city Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley and Queens District Attorney Richard Brown. Heshi Baron, chairman of
the Kew Gardens Hills Civic Association, presided over the service.
Richard C. Hellenbrecht, executive vice president of the Queens Civic Congress, was among those who mourned her loss and shared personal stories about Dolan. Often, he said, Dolan would call him in the early morning in the days leading up to QCC meetings reminding him of things needed to be done.
“She was an inspirational leader, she was tireless, bright and intelligent,” Hellenbrecht said.
Irma E. Rodriguez, executive director of the Forest Hills Community House, worked alongside Dolan for years, and remembered Dolan’s work fighting for seniors on transportation issues as director of the nonprofit’s Queens Connection program.
“Money was never an issue unless it was for a beloved project in her community,” Rodriguez said.
City Comptroller John Liu, who also spoke at the service, remembered Dolan for her work in advocating for more vans and transportation for senior centers across the city, calling her a soldier of the local community.
“If she was going to go, then, knowing Pat, that’s the way she would have wanted to go…in the line of action,” he said.
Aida Gonzales-Jarrin, chairwoman of the Flushing Meadows-Corona Park Conservancy, remembered her work in obtaining funding to improve Flushing Meadows Corona Park while bringing attention to many of the park’s resources to the local community. One example she pointed to was when Dolan brought teens from the local Queens Community House to the park in order to teach them about caring for the environment.
“She had a great love and respect for Flushing Meadows Corona Park, for its historical and cultural (value),” she said.
Perhaps the most emotional moment of the night came when Norma Stegmaier, Dolan’s longtime friend, when she talked about her late friend’s love of her cat, named Timmy, and the times they spent catching shows in Staten Island and trading recipes.
The last time Stegmaier spoke to Dolan was roughly one day before the fatal accident, after Dolan walked her to her home in Flushing following a trip to the doctor.
“The last thing we told each other was ‘I’ll call you tomorrow,’” Stegmaier said before she visibly began to tear up. “Except for Pat, tomorrow never came.”
By Jean-Paul Salamanca
Forum Newsgroup Photo by Jean-Paul Salamanca
jp.salamanca@theforumnewsgroup.com
