A memorial service took place for Quincy L. Boykin on August 6 at St. Peter's Church on East 54rd Street and Lexington Avenue in Manhattan. Quincy was born on May 30, 1944 and died on July 7, 2003.
This is where Quincy would have wanted to be-in the hubbub of everyday life, right next to the headquarters for Citibank. The airy sanctuary was filled with the voices of family, friends, and colleagues bidding adieu to the Director of Consumer Affairs for the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Howie T. Harp Advocacy Center, and Community Access sponsored the event. Laverne Miller, David Gonzalez, Annette Campbell, Ruth Brooks, Steve Cohen, Norma Nieves-Blas, and Celia Brown planned the memorial. David Gozalez, who claimed Quincy as his mentor, acted as the MC. His words were the first of many that day in praise of Quincy Boykin.
David: "Quincy was a gentle giant of conviction and compassion. I wanted to be a writer and an artist. Quincy told me I would make a great advocate. I've found that being an advocate is a lot more challenging."
David Sederer, Executive Deputy Commissioner, NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene: "I was Quincy's boss for a year, if anyone could be Quincy's boss. He was a big man who saw I kept consumers' issues foremost."
Martha Adams Sullivan, Assistant Commissioner for Mental Hygiene: "Although he's departed, he remains a part of the community. It's an African American tradition to call the dead by their first name. A towering black man speaking his truth, but never about himself. He had the courage to help himself and the tenacity to help others."
Steve Coe, Executive Director of Community Access: "He had the guts and courage of a paratrooper. He often was the only person in the room with a different opinion. He and Howie the Harp were kindred spirits fighting for human rights. We've lost a leader but Quincy was always nurturing leaders."
Gregory Hicks, a peer advocate of Kingsborough Psychiatric, also claimed Quincy as his mentor. He said, "Quincy was his own greatest critic."
Roy Innis, Chairman of CORE, the famous Civil Rights organization, told a story how after Quincy returned from Vietnam, where you would have expected him to be brutalized, he stopped a beating at a Black Power conference. "You the man, we the man," he concluded.
John Allen, Director of Recipient Affairs for the New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) said, "He was a role model every day. He could change the direction of a meeting. He stayed at his last conference even when he became ill. He wanted young people to take his place."
Harvey Rosenthal, Director of the New York Association for Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services (NYAPRS), declared, "We need to recognize our leaders and care for each other. The work is so great and Quincy is a beacon. Thanks to Quincy, we have a new beginning."
Peter Ashenden, Director of the Mental Health Empowerment Project (MHEP), outlined Quincy's accomplishments: advisory groups, conferences, cultural competency, Reinvestment.
Celia Brown, from OMH's New York City office, "Quincy gave consumers a voice and made everyone feel special. He embraced a rainbow of consumers while he was proud to be African American. You are one of the giants among Howie the Harp, Julius Green, Bernard Nugent, and Ken Steele."
His daughters Kendra and Dawn and son-in-law Anthony were recognized and/or spoke briefly.
Isaac Brown, Director of Housing Services for the Baltic Street Mental Health Board, said "Quincy was color blind. He watched my back. There is a Jewish saying that if you save one life, you save the world. That was Quincy's attitude."
Angelo Cerio: "Whatever his differences with people, he never showed animosity. He opened a lot of doors for a lot of people."
Jody Silver, Director of Advocacy for Community Access, celebrated Quincy's humor.Annette Campbell, also of Community Access, lead the congregation through four choruses of Quincy's favorite song: "Home, Home on the Range."
The final song, "Amazing Grace," ended aptly with "my heart has been set free" for Quincy was a liberator.