Photo Courtesy of Councilman Donovan Richards
Former Mayor David Dinkins delivered remarks at Sunday’s service, which was held at the Helen Marshall Cultural Center at Borough Hall.
By Michael V. Cusenza
City civic leaders, elected officials, and political powerbrokers on Sunday afternoon joined friends and family of Helen Marshall at Borough Hall to celebrate the life and legacy of a public-service pioneer.
Marshall, Queens’ first African-American borough president, died on March 4 at her home in California. She was 87.
“It seems as if all of #nyc is here,” City Councilman Barry Grodenchik (D-Oakland Gardens) marveled on Twitter as former Mayor David Dinkins delivered his remarks inside the Helen Marshall Cultural Center – the Borough Hall atrium that was dedicated to Marshall in a ceremony in September.
Hosted by Borough President Melinda Katz and the Marshall Family, the special event was open to the public, with the invitation pledging to honor “a larger-than-life figure in the civic life of Queens [and] the City and State of New York.”
In addition to borough president, Marshall, in a 30-year political career, also served on the City Council, and as a member of the Assembly, representing her beloved communities of Corona and Elmhurst on both legislative bodies.
“Helen fought tenaciously to improve our children’s schools, to address seemingly intractable quality-of-life issues and to secure a fair share of City resources for Queens,” Katz said. “As the first African-American borough president of Queens and only the second woman to be elected to the position, Helen Marshall was a trailblazer who inspired many to pursue public service. She was a deeply compassionate person who cared tremendously about the well- being of her fellow Queens residents. Her love of the borough was exceeded only by her love for her family, especially her devoted husband Donald, who passed away recently. Helen will be sorely missed and I extend my condolences and the condolences of the 2.3 million residents of Queens to Helen and Donald’s children, Donald Jr. and Agnes Marie, and to Helen’s entire family.”
Community Board 10 Chairwoman Betty Braton recently told The Forum, “One shining example of [Marshall’s] concern and compassion for people was her arriving with no fanfare at my home to start working on [Superstorm] Sandy issues on Day 1 following the night of the storm. She always mentioned her service on her own community board whenever she commented on what led her to go on to serve the people as an Assembly member, Council member, and borough president. She will be missed by all who knew her.”
Marshall, whose husband, Donald, died in January, is survived by her two children and a sister.
