In honor of Black History Month 2025, this collection spotlights individuals featured in the Queens Name Explorer whose names carry historical significance. From outspoken ministers to pioneering musicians to female leaders in public service, this small sampling provides a glimpse into the histories of Elmhurst, Corona, Flushing, St. Albans, Jamaica, Hollis, and Kew Garden Hills. This collection coincides with an exhibit running from January 30 to April 20, 2025 at Culture Lab LIC, 5-25 46th Avenue, Queens, NY 11101.

Louis Armstrong (1901-1971) is widely regarded as one of the most innovative and influential figures in jazz, known for both his trumpet improvisations and his distinctive singing voice. He also broke down numerous racial divides in the music and entertainment worlds, becoming the first Black performer to get featured billing in a major Hollywood film ("Pennies From Heaven," 1936) and the first Black host of a national radio show (Fleischmann's Yeast Show, 1937). Born in New Orleans in 1901, Armstrong grew up impoverished in a racially segregated city. He dropped out of school in fifth grade to work, and developed a close relationship with a local Jewish family that gave him odd jobs and nurtured his love of music. By the age of 11, Armstrong wound up in the Colored Waif’s Home for Boys, where he joined the band and studied the cornet in earnest. Upon his release from the home in 1914, he began working as a musician on Mississippi riverboats and other local venues. His reputation skyrocketed, and by the early 1920s he moved north, performing and recording with jazz bands in Chicago and New York. Throughout the 1920s and '30s, Armstrong made dozens of records with his own and many other ensembles, toured extensively, and began performing in Broadway productions and movies. After some business and health setbacks, and in response to changing musical tastes, Armstrong scaled his group down to a six-piece combo in the 1940s and resumed touring internationally, recording albums and appearing in movies. Some of his biggest popular hits came in the later years of his career, including "Hello Dolly" (1964) and "What A Wonderful World" (1967). His grueling schedule took its toll on his heart and kidneys and in 1968 he was forced to take time off to recuperate, but he began performing again in 1970. Armstrong died in his sleep in July 1971, just a few months after his final engagement at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York. The Louis Armstrong Playground is adjacent to P.S. 143 Louis Armstrong, a public school serving grades Pre-K through 5.

Father John J. Gribbon (1925-2005) was a priest with the Church of St. Anastasia in Douglaston for 39 years. He also served as chaplain for the Little Neck-Douglaston Volunteer Ambulance Corps.

Sheikh Hamoud Saeidi (1937-2023), a good samaritan who had once saved a girl from a kidnapping, was killed by a person on a shooting spree while heading to his mosque. Born on January 25, 1937 in Yemen, Saeidi moved to New York City in the 1970s. He worked to eventually own several bodegas and delis in the city, employing dozens. Once, when he saw a person in a van attempting to lure a small girl inside with candy and toys, he intervened. The van drove away, but Saeidi remembered the license plate and reported it to the police, who caught the suspect. On July 8, 2023, a man on a scooter randomly shot several people, killing Saeidi and injuring three others. The 25-year-old shooter, Thomas Abreu, was later caught and arraigned on charges including murder and attempted murder. If convicted, he could face 25 years to life in prison. Saeidi was the central figure in his family. He and his wife were married for nearly 60 years, and they had six children, 30 grandchildren, and 31 great-grandchildren. Nearly 2,000 people, including Mayor Eric Adams, filled a mosque for the funeral of this beloved member of the Yemeni community. “This person did not kill one person only, he did not kill my father only, he killed the whole community, my whole family," his son, Main Saeidi, told the news at the time. Council Member Lynn Schulman proposed co-naming this street, which is the site where Saeidi was killed, in his honor in 2023, and an unveiling ceremony took place on June 26, 2024.

Hortense Powdermaker was one of the original members of Queens College’s faculty. She was born into a middle-class Jewish family in Philadelphia, earned a B.A. in history from Goucher College in 1919 and a Ph.D. in anthropology from the University of London in 1928. The following year, she became the first woman anthropologist to live alone among the Melanesians of New Ireland in Papua New Guinea; she published her study of the experience, Life in Lesu, in 1933. For periods in 1932-1934, Powdermaker lived in Indianola, Mississippi, examining its Black and white communities and their interactions. Her book, After Freedom (1939), is still notable for its insightful analysis of race relations and of the impact of psychological adaptations to segregation. Powdermaker joined Queens College upon its opening in 1937 and founded the departments of anthropology and sociology. During her 30-year teaching career at Queens, she continued to conduct research and published highly influential books on racism (Probing Our Prejudices, 1944) and the social structure of the American filmmaking industry (Hollywood: The Dream Factory, 1950). Her final book, Stranger and Friend: The Way of an Anthropologist, was published in 1966 as a candid examination of her fieldwork experiences and the appropriate role of the anthropologist and social scientist. She retired from Queens College in 1968 and was undertaking a study of youth culture in Berkeley when she died in 1970. Powdermaker Hall was built in 1962 as the Social Science Building, sometimes called Academic I. In 1977, it was renamed to honor Powdermaker. The building is home to the college’s departments of anthropology and sociology, along with its School of Education. The Hortense Powdermaker Papers are housed in the college library’s Department of Special Collections and Archives.

Henry Engelhard Steinway was born Heinrich Engelhardt Steinweg in Germany on February 15, 1797 . He fought in the Napoleonic Wars and opened up a piano-making business before moving to America and starting a shop there. He moved his company, known as Steinway & Sons from Manhattan to Astoria, Queens, forming the "Steinway Village." This factory is still operating today.

Ortner Vernon Murray (1938-2020), affectionately known as "Von" was born in Manzanilla, Trinidad. After marrying Jocelyn Verspry the young couple started a life together leaving Trinidad for the United States to pursue the "American Dream" like so many others. Originally moving to Brooklyn, he found the neighborhood of Corona and decided to make it his family's home. Shortly after, he opened a shoe repair business with his brother where he taught himself to makeand repair women's shoes and bags. The early 1970's were especially difficult, however, he felt it was his duty as a business owner and a member of Corona to invest in his community by becoming a voice and a role model. Known as "Uncle Von" or "Mr. Von" by many who called upon him, he was a spirited local entrepreneur who built a business one brick at a time. Those that knew him well named him "Mayor" of Northern Blvd. He was responsible for the formation of the Northern Blvd Merchants Association and was an excellent strategist and negotiator when it came to protecting the rights of fellow business owners. He negotiated deals with various Queens Borough Presidents' for the betterment of the Northern Blvd strip by having street meters removed and improvements made to the roadway and sidewalks. In the 1980s, Von was a huge advocate for the neighborhood children and elderly who required additional services from the City of New York. He served as chairman of the board of ELMCOR and VON’s Inc. became the first Black owned business in the United States to secure a NIKE account as a distributor. The inspiration of who Von was and grew to be as a community leader was shown as he was recognized by the Queens Borough President's Office on two separate occasions by receiving Letters of Proclamation. Mr. Von operated his business with great pride and passion for over 40 years in the same location in Corona. His blood sweat and tears went not only into the business but to the people and community. Even though he retired in 2010 and sold the business and buildings, he remained a fixture and leader of Corona/East Elmhurst.

Manuel de Dios Unanue (1943-1992) was a Cuban-born journalist and radio host who was killed in New York City in 1992. De Dios was born in Cuba in 1943 and moved to the United States in 1973, after time spent in Spain and Puerto Rico, he settled in Elmhurst, Queens. He worked as a journalist for several Spanish-language newspapers in New York City, before becoming editor-in-chief of El Diario La Prensa, the largest Spanish-Language newspaper in NYC, in 1984. De Dios was best known for his investigative reporting on the Colombian drug trade. He wrote extensively about the drug cartels that operated in Queens, and he named names. His reporting made him a target of the drug traffickers, and he was slain on March 11, 1992, by a hitman for the Colombian drug cartel in the Meson Asturias restaurant on 83rd Street in Queens.

Joseph Lisa Sr. (1898-1977) was a Democratic leader in Queens. His 26 years of community and political service included seven years as a New York State Assemblyman, representing the 31st and 34th districts. Born on October 16, 1898, Lisa and his wife, Marion, lived in Corona and raised three children: James, Charles, and Joseph Jr. For a time, he worked as the proprietor of a bar and grill in Queens Village. Lisa served in the New York State Assembly from 1969 to 1976, retiring in 1977. His son, Joseph Lisa Jr., succeeded him as a district leader and was later appointed to the New York State Supreme Court. On August 31, 1981, a New York State blue spruce was planted in Lisa's memory during a dedication ceremony at William F. Moore Park in Corona. A commemorative stone tablet at the site reads: "THIS TREE PLANTED IN MEMORY OF JOSEPH LISA SR. DEMOCRATIC LEADER FROM 1950-1976."

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August Harvey “Augie” Martin (1919-1968) was an American pilot. He was a member of the Tuskegee Airmen during World War II and later became the first African American to pilot a commercial aircraft in the United States. Martin was born in Los Angeles but moved with his family to New York City during his childhood. In 1938, he graduated from DeWitt Clinton High School in the Bronx. He returned to California to attend San Mateo Junior College and the University of California. While there, he washed airplanes at the Oakland Flying Service to pay for flying lessons. On January 8, 1940, Martin completed his first solo flight. He continued learning how to fly at the federally sponsored Civilian Pilot Training Program at the University of California. There, he earned his flight instructor rating, a qualification that allows pilots to teach flight training. In 1942, he returned to New York and worked as a civilian inspector at the Navy V-12 Program at Cornell University. In 1943, Martin joined the U.S. Army Air Corps and went to Tuskegee, Alabama, for flight training, earning his wings on September 8, 1945. He was slated to go overseas with his bombardment team, but WWII ended before that took place. In 1946, Martin left the military and looked for a job in commercial aviation, but found it challenging to find a pilot's job as a Black man. He instead worked as an aircraft maintainer at Willis Air Service in Teterboro, N.J. From then until 1955, he was also a part-time pilot for different airlines. When he did not have any flying jobs, he worked as a stevedore on the New York City docks to support his family. In 1955, Martin joined Seaboard World Airlines as a pilot, becoming the first African American captain of a U.S. air carrier. In 1968, Martin helped establish Negro Airmen International (NAI) with Edward A. Gibbs and other African American pilots. NAI's mission was to foster the inclusion of African Americans in aviation. After the outbreak of civil war in Nigeria in 1967, Martin volunteered to bring emergency relief supplies into the Biafra region for the International Red Cross. On June 30, 1968, he and his wife Gladys died in a plane crash while attempting to land in Biafra during a rainstorm. In 1971, the August Martin High School opened on the site of the former Woodrow Wilson High School. The school is known for its aviation training program. Martin was also honored by the U.S. Department of Transportation/Federal Aviation Administration in 1980 with its publication of the August Martin Activities Book, a 20-page children's book. It was reprinted in 1993.

Born in Veracruz, Mexico, Lorena Borjas (1960-2020) was a fierce advocate for the transgender and Latinx communities in Queens. Borjas moved to the U.S. in 1980 and earned a green card through a Reagan-era amnesty program. She was convicted of charges related to prostitution in 1994, but the charges were later vacated, since she was forced into prostitution by human traffickers. However, other convictions remained on her record until 2017, when then-Governor Andrew M. Cuomo pardoned her. She became a U.S. citizen in 2019. Borjas inspired many people through her advocacy for the LGBT community. She co-founded the Lorena Borjas Community Fund in 2012 and was actively involved in many organizations, including the AIDS Center of Queens County, the Hispanic AIDS Forum and the Latino Commission on AIDS. In 2015, she founded El Colectivo Intercultural TRANSgrediendo, a non-profit organization that works to defend the rights of transgender and gender non-binary people. The organization provides legal and medical services to trans and non-binary sex workers and undocumented members of the community. Although Borjas had already been taking sex workers to clinics to get tested for HIV and helping to get lawyers for possible deportation cases, El Colectivo was a way for her to officially continue that work. She also became a counselor for the Community Healthcare Network's Transgender Family Program, where she worked to obtain legal aid for victims of human trafficking. Borjas died on March 30, 2020, of complications from COVID-19. On June 26, 2022, a bill was signed by Governor Kathy Hochul establishing the Lorena Borjas transgender and gender non-binary (TGNB) wellness and equity fund, which will be used to invest in increasing employment opportunities, providing access to gender-affirming healthcare, and raising awareness about transgender and gender non-binary people in New York.

Rabbi Ben Zion Bokser (1907 - 1984) was a leading figure in Conservative Judaism, a scholar, and the spiritual leader of the Forest Hills Jewish Center in Queens for 50 years. Rabbi Bokser was born in Liuboml, which was then a part of Poland, and emigrated to the United States at the age of 13 in 1920. He attended City College of New York, the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, and received his PhD in 1935 from Columbia University. He taught for many years as an adjunct professor of political science at Queens College, City University of New York. Bokser served as the rabbi of Forest Hills Jewish Center starting in 1933 and remained in that position for more than fifty years. He served for a two-year period as a United States Army chaplain during World War II and organized aid for Jewish soldiers. Bokser was an advocate for social justice and took a position in favor of the construction of a housing project for the poor during the Forest Hills housing controversy of 1966-1972. He fought against the death penalty in New York state. He served as a program editor for the Eternal Light, the Jewish Theological Seminary's radio program, was a professor of homiletics at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, and  participated in the Conference on Science, Philosophy and Religion and the Institute for Religious and Social Studies, both seminary-run programs. He was chair of the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards of the Rabbinical Assembly from 1959–1960, 1963–1965, and 1980-1984. Among the books he wrote were ''Judaism and the Christian Predicament,'' a study of Jewish-Christian relations; ''Judaism: Profile of a Faith'' and ''Jews, Judaism and the State of Israel.''

Captain Malcolm A. Rafferty (1861 - 1903) was a hero of the Battle of San Juan Hill during the Spanish-American War. A Long Island City native, he returned home after the war and worked for the Barber Asphalt Company. He died of malaria in Trinidad in 1903.

Stanley, Kathleen & Robert Rygor Way, is co-named in honor of a local Astoria family who were activists for LGBTQ rights. Stanley Rygor (1926 - 2019) Kathleen Rygor (1929 - 2021) and Robert Rygor (1953 - 1994) were all deeply involved in the LGBT community. Robert was a well-known LGBT community activist, prominent AIDS activist, and ACT UP spokesperson. In 1978, he became the first openly gay man to run for New York State Legislature. He was a member of Villagers Against Crime, advocating for safer neighborhoods, and in 1992, he testified at the Democratic Platform Committee Hearings to advocate for the inclusion of AIDS awareness and funding into their platform. Stanley, Robert’s father, served in the United States Navy and along with his wife Kathleen became a civil rights activist during the 1960’s, including hosting meetings for the Queens NAACP. The Queens LGBT community referred to the Rygors as outspoken allies and advocates for AIDS Outreach after their son contracted the virus and passed away. Stanley was a member of the Irish LGBT group Lavender and Green Alliance, which honored him and his wife Kathleen, in 1996. Stanley and Kathleen Rygor have been featured in several films regarding their son on the challenges of homophobia and AIDS.

Brigadier General Joseph T. Hart (1902-1962) was a distinguished resident of Elmhurst, renowned for his exceptional contributions in both the military and civilian realms. His commendable military career began in 1920 when he joined the National Guard and enlisted in the 69th Regiment, later known as the 165th Infantry. Hart's remarkable leadership skills led to his appointment as brigadier general in 1940. He notably served in crucial World War II battles, including Makin and Saipan in the South Pacific, and commanded the unit during the Battle of Okinawa in April 1945. Recognized for his bravery and commitment, General Hart received prestigious accolades such as the Silver Star with a Cluster, the Purple Heart, the American Defense Force Medal, and the New York State Conspicuous Service Medal. Post-war, he continued his dedicated service in the Queens Borough President's Office, serving under prominent officials Maurice Fitzgerald and John T. Clancy until his passing. In 1964, the New York City Council name the park in his honor.

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Mary Gallagher (1932 - 2018) was an early advocate for the LGBTQ community and an educator in Queens. She was a founding member of PFLAG/Queens, a support, education and advocacy group for parents, families and friends of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people, and served as its Queens Hospitality Chairperson. Gallagher was also a public school teacher for many years and later opened a nursery school and served as administrator of several daycare centers in New York City.

Charles Dillon “Casey” Stengel (1890-1975) was a Baseball Hall of Famer and former New York Mets manager. During his playing career, he played outfield for both New York National League teams, the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants, with a career batting average of .284. After retiring, he managed the New York Yankees from 1949 to 1960. This team, featuring the batting power of Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris, won ten pennants and seven World Series championships. Stengel then went on to become the first manager of the expansion Mets team from 1962 to 1965. He was known for his witty remarks and aphorisms and beloved as a New York baseball icon. After a $55 million renovation, the former Flushing Depot was renamed the Casey Stengel Depot in 1992. The bus depot stands opposite the entrance to the New York Mets' Citi Field stadium.

Major James A. McKenna (1885-1918) of the165th Regiment, 83rd Brigade, third "Shamrock" Battalion, of the Rainbow Division (42nd Infantry Division). James Augustine McKenna Jr. was born in Long Island City, Queens, in 1885. He attended local schools and went on to study at Harvard and Cornell, where he was a star athlete. After graduating from law school at Fordham in 1916, he joined the 7th Regiment and fought in the Mexican Border War (1910–1919). In 1917, he was transferred to the 69th Regiment and was promoted to Lieutenant. McKenna commanded the 1st Troop ship of his infantry while crossing into France. In October of that year, he and his compatriots arrived in France, where he was promoted to Major.  In July 1918, McKenna led his battalion across the Ourcq River in France near Villeneuve-sur-Fere, in the Second Battle of the Marne (July-August 1918). His battalion was the only one to successfully cross the river, but McKenna was killed by a stray piece of shrapnel the following day. He was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his bravery.

Thomas Gerard Brophy (d. 2005) served with the NYPD for 16 years and was assigned to the 109th Precinct covering Flushing and Whitestone, Queens. He died of 9/11 related illness at age 36 in April 2005 as a result of his involvement in the rescue recovery efforts at Ground Zero after the 9/11 attacks.

Detective Anastasios Tsakos (d. 2021) was a 14-year veteran of the NYPD’s highway patrol unit, the 43 year old was killed when he was struck by an intoxicated driver as he directed traffic away from another fatal accident on the Long Island Expressway in Queens. Tsakos was born in Dover, N.H. and then moved with his parents to Greece, their home country, where he lived until he was 14. The family then came to Astoria, Queens, where Tsakos graduated high school. Tsakos earned his undergraduate degree in aviation administration from Dowling College on Long Island - he had a dream to fly airplanes and helicopters. After college, he worked at his father’s Port Washington diner for a while, and then returned to Greece and enlisted in the Greek army, where he became second lieutenant. In 2007, he moved back to the U.S. and joined the NYPD with the goal of flying an NYPD helicopter. He worked in the 75th and 83rd precincts before joining the highway patrol unit.

Gwen Ifill (1955-2016) was a trailblazing journalist who covered the White House, Congress and national election campaigns. She was the first Black woman to anchor a national TV public affairs show, Washington Week. Though she held positions with The Washington Post, The New York Times and NBC, she spent most of her career at PBS. She worked at PBS NewsHour for 17 years, and along with Judy Woodruff, was on the first all-woman anchor team on network nightly news. Ifill was born in Jamaica, Queens, and lived in several different cities throughout New England, Pennsylvania and New York, due to her father’s work as a minister. She attended Simmons College in Boston and majored in communications. Her first journalism experience was as an intern at the Boston Herald newspaper in her senior year of college, and she subsequently began working at the newspaper full-time in 1977. Until her untimely death from cancer at the age of 61, Ifill had a prolific career as a journalist for more than 30 years. The former Railroad Park was renamed Gwen Ifill Park on June 16, 2021.

Abigail Adams (1744-1818), was the wife of John Adams, patriot leader, lawyer and second president of the United States. She was a patriot in her own right and a supporter of education for women. She married John Adams in 1764. From 17874 to 1784, she raised four children alone and ran the family farm. Her son, John Quincy Adams, was the sixth President of the United States.

Ethel Plimack (1910 - 2018) Lived on her block in Sunnyside, Queens from 1941 until 2018, when she passed away at age 107. Plimack worked for more than 40 years with the NYC Board of Education until she was 70, and then took an administrative job at Marymount Manhattan College until she was 96 years-old. She was active in the community and served as treasurer and secretary of her block association, Washington Court, and was also heavily involved in gaining landmark status for Sunnyside Gardens. Ethel was an exceptional knitter, making many hundreds of sweaters, hats and scarves for family and friends. In her younger years, she was an avid folk dancer, traveling the world to learn new dances and meet others who shared her passion for dance. A legend in Sunnyside, she received recognition from local elected officials and former President Barack Obama.

Lance Corporal Thomas P. Noonan Jr. (1943-1969) was a Vietnam War Veteran born in Brooklyn, New York. In 1961 he attended Hunter College in the Bronx, graduating with a B.A. degree in Physical Education in 1966. Noonan enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve in Brooklyn at the end of 1967 and was discharged to enlist in the regular Marine Corps early 1968. Noonan completed recruit training with the 3rd Recruit Training Battalion, Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, South Carolina, and was promoted to private first class in spring 1968. Summer of 1968 Noonan was ordered to the Republic of Vietnam. He was first assigned duty as a mortar man with H\&S Company, 2nd Battalion, 27th Marines, 1st Marine Division (Rein), FMF. Later Noonan was reassigned to the 3rd Marine Division as a rifleman, where he saw combat with Company G, 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines. Noonan was promoted to Lance Corporal January 1st, 1969. Lance Corporal Noonan was killed in action February 5th, 1969 while participating in action against the enemy during Operation Dewey Canyon south of Vandegrift Combat Base in Quang Tri Province. Noonan was awarded the Purple Heart, the National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal with two bronze stars, and the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal. He was also awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously by President Richard Nixon. As described in the citation, Noonan was awarded this medal for his indomitable courage, inspiring initiative, and selfless devotion to duty. Noonan died attempting to bring wounded men away from enemy fire and back to safety. Noonan dashed across the hazardous terrain of the area and commenced dragging the most seriously wounded man. Although wounded and knocked to the ground by an enemy round, Lance Corporal Noonan recovered rapidly and resumed dragging the man toward the marginal security of a rock. He was however, mortally wounded before he could reach his destination. His actions inspired his fellow Marines to such passion that they initiated a spirited assault which forced the enemy soldiers to withdraw. In December 2004, Jack Lincks wrote: "You are gone from our presence, but never forgotten. You would be amazed that so many remember you, and that our childhood playground is now named for you. Till we meet again - Semper Fi !" The L/CPL Thomas P. Noonan Jr. Playground holds Noonan's memory, as well as those who knew him.

Mike Crowley (1936-2007) was a founding member and president of the Jackson Heights Beautification Group (JHBG). Under his leadership, JHBG landmarked Jackson Heights as a historic district, operated the first ever community based anti-graffiti program in the City, established the JHBG Architectural and Good Neighbor Awards, the JHBG Halloween Parade, the garden club, created the Friends of Travers Park, operated Town Hall Meetings and Candidates Nights and created the publication of a community newsletter.

Timothy Patrick “TK” Klein (1990-2022), a six-year veteran of the FDNY with Ladder 170, Engine Company 257 in Brooklyn, died at age 31 while battling a fire in Canarsie, Brooklyn. Born September 17, 1990, joining the FDNY had been Klein's dream. His father Patrick was an FDNY firefighter, as were many of his other extended family members. Known as “The Golden Boy,” and the “Canarsie Kid," he grew up on Beach 137th Street and graduated from St. Francis De Sales School on Beach 129th Street. He graduated from Archbishop Molloy High School in 2008, where he had played on the basketball team, and then attended York College of Pennsylvania for a degree in sports management. Klein joined Ladder 170 FDNY on December 28, 2015. His fellow firefighters remembered him as someone who was constantly learning and always keeping himself busy, including, at the time of his passing, studying to take the lieutenant’s test. Outside of work, Klein volunteered with the nonprofit Fight for Firefighters, where he helped remodel homes to make them more accessible for first responders with disabilities. On April 24, 2022, Klein was critically injured in a Canarsie fire. As conditions worsened, a third alarm was called, and the order to evacuate came. Before exiting, Klein removed window bars, likely saving lives. Eight other firefighters were injured, and one resident died in the blaze. On August 23, 2023, a street renaming ceremony was held to honor John Klein. The initiative, spearheaded by City Councilmember Joann Ariola, renamed a street near Klein's first home on Beach 129th Street. His sister noted that Klein loved the area and spent significant time there. He was remembered as a quiet, yet charismatic individual who enjoyed sports, the beach, music, and spending time with loved ones. Klein continued to play basketball, participating in the annual St. Francis Summer Classic Men's Open Division basketball tournament, now named in his honor. The Timothy P. Klein Memorial Foundation, created in his honor, hosts an annual volleyball tournament and country fest. Klein's name is also inscribed on the National Fallen Firefighter Memorial in Maryland.

Robert F. Wagner, Jr. (1910-1991) was a politician and diplomat who served as the 102nd mayor of New York City from 1954 to 1965. Along with Fiorello La Guardia, Edward Koch, and Michael Bloomberg, Wagner is one of four modern mayors to serve for a total of three terms. When running for his third term, he broke with his supporters from the Tammany Hall organization, beginning the decline of the political machine’s reign over city politics. The son of a U.S. senator, Wagner oversaw the City during a period of political and societal transformation. He was born in New York City on April 20, 1910, to Robert Ferdinand Wagner, a German immigrant, and Margaret Marie (McTague) Wagner. His mother died when he was nine years old, and he was raised by his father in Yorkville on New York City’s Upper East Side. Educated at the Loyola School on Park Avenue and at Taft School in Watertown, Connecticut, he went on to receive his bachelor’s from Yale in 1933. He also studied at Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration and the School of International Studies in Geneva, and in 1937, he received his law degree from Yale. From 1938 to 1942, Wagner served in the New York State Assembly. He resigned at the outset of World War II, and joined the Army Air Corps as an intelligence officer, where he achieved the rank of lieutenant colonel and received the Bronze Star and the French Croix de Guerre for his service. After the war, he returned to New York City, where he accepted a position as City Tax Commissioner, later holding the additional appointive posts of Commissioner of Housing and Buildings and chairman of the City Planning Commission. In 1949, Wagner was elected Manhattan borough president, a position he held until 1953. That same year, he ran for and won his first term as New York City mayor. At the time, the Tammany Hall political machine was prominent in NYC politics, and Wagner won his first two terms with their backing. By 1961, in an attempt to appeal to a broader electorate, he broke with the group. His third-term win signified a shift in and reduction of the influence of large political groups in the city politics. Wagner’s accomplishments as mayor include granting collective bargaining rights to municipal labor unions and securing state and federal funds to help build public housing. He approved the law that led to the development of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission, and he helped aid in the saving of historic structures such as Carnegie Hall. Wagner also promoted the arts, leading to the establishment of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and free Shakespeare productions in Central Park. He is credited with the integration of City government through the appointment of more people of color to administrative posts, the development of the City University of New York, and with the construction of parks, roadways, and schools. In addition, despite losing the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants to California in 1957, Wagner was instrumental in luring another baseball franchise, the Mets, to Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, which opened as Shea Stadium in 1964. Following his years as mayor, Wagner went on to work as a partner at a New York law firm. In 1968, he served one year as ambassador to Spain in the Johnson administration, and later served as presidential envoy to the Vatican from 1978 to 1981 under the Carter administration. In 1942, Wagner married Susan Edwards, the sister of his roommate at Yale, and together the couple had two children, Robert Jr. and Duncan. His first wife died in 1964, and the following year, he married Barbara Jean Cavanagh, the sister of Wagner’s former Fire Commissioner, Edward Cavanagh. They divorced in 1971. In 1975, he married Phyllis Fraser Cerf, the widow of writer and publisher Bennett Cerf. The couple remained together until Wagner’s death at his home on East 62nd street from heart failure on February 12, 1991. He is buried with his first wife, Susan, at Calvary Cemetery in Woodside. Constructed in 1910, the Robert F. Wagner, Jr. Secondary School for Arts and Technology is located at 47-07 30th Place in Long Island City.

Mamie Fay (1872-1949) was the first principal of P.S. 122 in Astoria, now named in her honor as P.S. 122 The Mamie Fay School, where she served from 1925 until her retirement in 1942. Following the consolidation of Queens into New York City in 1898, she became the first teacher in the borough to be designated as a principal. As a member of the Queensborough Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, she also worked to protect children’s rights. Born in Brooklyn to John and Mary Archer Fay, Mamie graduated from Flushing High School and Columbia University before beginning her career in education as a teacher in 1898. In 1905, she earned her principal’s license. Five years later, she became principal of what was then P.S. 7 in Astoria, moving on to serve at P.S. 122 when it first opened in 1925. She was active in her community, serving as a member of the Teachers’ Council of the City of New York, the New York Principals Association, the Teachers’ Organization for Women’s Suffrage, and the League of Women Voters. In addition, she was the first woman to become a member of the Queensborough Chamber of Commerce. Fay died at her home in Flushing on March 19, 1949. On September 20, 2024, the section of Ditmars Boulevard between 21st and 23rd Streets in Astoria was co-named Mamie Fay Way in her honor. The street is located directly in front of P.S. 122 Mamie Fay School where she served for 17 years.

The Chaney-Goodman-Schwerner Clock Tower sits atop the main library on the campus of Queens College.

Ivan Mrakovcic (1963-2020) was an architect, historian, environmentalist and preservationist whose contributions enhanced the Richmond Hill neighborhood. His civic involvement earned him many leadership positions and stewardships and resulted in the establishment of the Historic District in North Richmond Hill on the New York State and National Historic registers in March 2019. He was the founder and president of the Richmond Hill Historical Society, served as treasurer of the Forest Park Trust and was a member of Queens Community Board 9 for 15 years, of which he served as chairperson from 2002 until 2007. He was a founding board member of the Friends of QueensWay park advocacy group and was also a Greenway Committee Member.

Lieutenant Charles Kemmer (1876-1927), a 26-year NYPD veteran who served at the 54th Precinct (currently the 104th Precinct), was killed in the line of duty while attempting to stop a robbery in progress. Kemmer had been in civilian clothing, travelling from his home at 9524 112th Street in Richmond Hill to the station house for desk duty on the morning of December 22, 1927 when he noticed a car idling outside a restaurant on Kossuth Place (now Cypress Hills Street), a couple blocks from the station. A robbery was underway, and in his attempt to disrupt it, one of the two suspects shot Kemmer in the face and abdomen. Despite his injuries, as the suspects escaped Kemmer wrote down the license plate of their vehicle. He was also able to provide detailed descriptions of the assailants to detectives who arrived on the scene. Using this information, the police captured the suspects later that day, and they confessed to the crimes. The shooter was convicted of murder and executed in the electric chair on August 9, 1928; the other man was convicted of second-degree murder. In 2023, City Councilmember Robert F. Holden successfully proposed renaming the street near the location of the restaurant in Kemmer's name.

Karol Rathaus (1895-1954) was a distinguished composer of orchestral and chamber music in addition to operas and film scores. Considered a child prodigy, he began writing music at age 7 and by 14 was composing for full orchestra. Rathaus was born to a Jewish family in Tarnopol, Austria, a town now part of Ukraine. After serving in the Austrian Army during World War I, he resumed his studies with Austrian composer Franz Schreker, first in Vienna and then in Berlin, where he settled and launched his professional career. By 1934, Rathaus had achieved considerable success with his varied compositions, including the score for the now-classic film, The Brothers Karamazov (1931). However, fearing the rise of Nazism and anti-Semitic violence, Rathaus fled Berlin in 1932, spending several years in Paris and then London, and continuing to compose. When he emigrated to the United States in 1938, he left behind a number of unpublished manuscripts that were destroyed in the London Blitz. Rathaus lived for a short time in Hollywood, to be near the film industry, but ultimately settled in New York in 1940. For the last 14 years of his life, Rathaus was professor of composition at Queens College, CUNY. In addition to teaching, he received numerous commissions and wrote works for the New York Philharmonic, the St. Louis Symphony and the Metropolitan Opera. He died in 1954 at the age of 59, succumbing to recurring illness and fatigue. His papers, including many music manuscripts, are housed in Queens College’s Department of Special Collections and Archives.

Sarah Willets Meyer (1880-1939) (also spelled “Sara”) was a member of the Willets family, a clan that figured prominently in the early history of Queens after making their fortune in the mid-1800s in the whaling industry. In 1850, Robert Willets (1825-1889), Sarah’s grandfather, built a home on a 200-acre estate in what is now Bayside. Adjoined to Willets Point (now Fort Totten), the homestead became known as Shore Acres, and it was there that Sarah was raised and made her home. In 1939, she generously donated a portion of her family estate to New York City to allow for the construction of a segment of the Cross Island Parkway, which was part of the broader Belt Parkway project. Sarah was the last of her family to live at Shore Acres. After her death, the property was sold and, by the early 1960s, demolished. Sarah’s father, Gardiner Howland Leavitt, hailed from an affluent background and served for a period as president of Flushing Gas and Light. Her mother, Amelia Willets Leavitt, was one of two daughters of Robert Willets. When Robert died in 1889, Amelia inherited Shore Acres and the surrounding estate, which then passed to Sarah in 1923. On October 8, 1902, Sarah married Charles Garrison Meyer, the son of real estate developer Cord Meyer. Special cars were attached to the Long Island Rail Road to bring guests to their ceremony and reception, which took place at Shore Acres and included some 600 attendees. The following week, the newlyweds sailed for Gibraltar and Europe for their honeymoon. Together, they had four children: Margaret, Charles Jr., Gardiner, and S. Willets. Shore Acres was considered a high society showplace, and it was the site of many festivities over the course of its heyday in the Gay 90s, when Sarah’s parents hosted a variety of grand balls and masquerades. Sarah and Charles continued this tradition, offering society events and benefits, such as a 400-guest ladies’ card party fundraiser on June 19, 1929, that Sarah held for the North Shore Centre of the Family Welfare Society. On March 31, 1939, Sarah died at her Manhattan residence at 800 Park Avenue, and she and her husband, Charles, are buried in Flushing Cemetery. In recognition of her gift of land to complete the highway construction, the City installed a bronze plaque on a wall under the Cross Island Parkway at Bell Boulevard near Fort Totten. The plaque reads: “In grateful recognition of the gift by Sara Willets Meyer of the land on which this bridge and a portion of the Belt Parkway have been built. — Anno Domini MCMXXXIX”

Alexander Graham Bell (1847-1922) was born in Scotland and received higher education at the University of Edinburgh and the University of London. In 1871, he immigrated to Canada and then the U.S. in 1871. Bell’s research centered on speech and sound and the ways it can be manipulated to be more accessible. He was inspired by his mother who was deaf to create the first international phonetic alphabet. Bell’s experimentation of sound went way beyond the lab. He started to play with vibrations in hobbies and everyday life. He observed how his dog's barking patterns and pitch concerned the throat’s vibration. While practicing piano, he also discovered that you could mimic the chords of a piano in another room by the echo of it, leading him to realize they were being transmitted through the air. From this observation, he experimented with the ideas of waves and wires coming together to form an invention that could carry sound over differing distances. In 1876 this invention was patented as the telephone. Soon after, in 1876, Bell founded the Bell Company to distribute the communication device to the public. Although Bell was most famous for the telephone, a way to transport sound, he also participated in the invention of other transportation devices. He developed blueprints of airplanes, kites, and watercrafts. Bell's Silver Dart successfully flew a half mile in 1909 and his HD-4 was the fastest watercraft in the world. In 1888, Bell and his son-in-law invested their work into National Geography, an up-and-coming journal which bloomed into a well renowned science entity. P.S. 205Q Alexander Graham Bell School was established in 1954.

Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890-1969) was the 34th President of the United States, serving two terms from 1953-1961. Before serving as president he had a long military career including commanding the Allied Forces landing in North Africa in November 1942. In addition, he served as Supreme Commander of the troops invading France on D-Day, 1944. After the war, Eisenhower served as the President of Columbia University and in 1951 as the Supreme Commander of the newly assembled NATO forces. He ran for and won the Presidency in 1952, using the slogan “I like Ike”. As President he worked to reduce the strains of the Cold War, signing the Korean Truce in 1953. The death of Stalin in 1953 also allowed him to establish better relations with the Soviet Union. Domestically, Eisenhower was considered a moderate Republican and continued many of the New Deal and Fair Deal programs. He advocated for Civil Rights, sending troops to Little Rock, Arkansas to assure compliance with the orders of a Federal court to desegregate the schools. He also ordered the complete desegregation of the Armed Forces. He Mamie Geneva Doud in 1916.

Bernard M. Fineson (1905-1967) was an attorney who served as chief trial examiner for the New York State Labor Relations Board. A leading advocate in the movement to make a better world for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, Fineson was active in the National Association of Retarded Children (NARC), now known as The ARC, from its founding in 1950. He was elected as president of the organization in 1966, serving for eight months before his death in 1967 at the age of 62. Born in London, Fineson came to the United States in 1907. He attended Syracuse University and graduated from Brooklyn Law School, going on to the firm of Ferris and Kuh from 1929 to 1941 and then working in private practice from 1941 to 1943. In 1944, he joined the New York State Labor Relations Board, serving as trial examiner beginning in 1946 and then as chief trial examiner in 1950. That same year, he became active in the newly formed National Association of Retarded Children (now The ARC), serving as president of the New York State ARC chapter from 1953 to 1959 and as president of the New York City ARC chapter from 1953 to 1958. He was elected to the organization’s national board of directors in 1958 and again in 1961. On October 22, 1966, he was elected president. Fineson also served as president of the Jacob J. Javits Republican Club of Washington Heights. Fineson and his family were living in the Kingsbridge Heights neighborhood of the Bronx at the time of his death from cancer on June 10, 1967. He was survived at the time by his wife, Mildred (Wolfson) Fineson, two children, Luba and Harris, and two grandchildren. He is buried at Mount Lebanon Cemetery in Glendale, New York. Run by the New York State Office for People With Developmental Disabilities, the Bernard M. Fineson DDSO (Developmental Disabilities Serv

Shri Guru Ravidass was a great Indian thinker, reformist, traveler, spiritual leader, and mystic poet-saint of the Bhakti movement in Hinduism, which emphasized love and devotion to god and preached against the caste system. Active during the 15th or 16th century CE, he attained recognition as a most learned Guru and was venerated as a teacher in the regions of Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh. The devotional songs of Ravidass have had a lasting impact on the Bhakti movement, and 41 poems attributed to him were included in the Adi Granth, the sacred scripture of Sikhism. A great social reformer, he fought the caste system in India with great courage when the system was at its peak, and upper caste kings became his followers. He was born in Banaras, Uttar Pradesh in the Chamar caste. The Chamars are a Dalit (formerly "untouchable") caste group numerically prevalent across North India, and traditionally associated with leatherwork and animal carcass disposal, connoting ritual impurity according to the Hindu religious system of caste hierarchy. In the face of enduring discrimination by wider Indian society, a sense of collective identity and solidarity remains strong amongst Chamars. The Ravidassi movement promised a collective religious identity for Chamars outside the existing socio-religious order, and Ravidas’s teachings focused on equality, social justice, and the unity of all humanity. Centered around the Punjabi city of Jalandhar, this movement has seen temples constructed across North India, including in the sacred Hindu city of Varanasi. Through these temples, religious leaders and reformers have promoted a separatist religious identity for Ravidassia, or those who follow the spiritual teachings of Guru Ravidas, one that rejects the ritually impure status afforded to Chamars as leatherworkers by Hindu cosmology. The Shri Guru Ravidass Temple was established in Woodside in 1987. It is the only known Ravidassia temple in New York City and the East Coast as a whole. On September 15, 2024, in a dedication ceremony held just outside the Temple, the intersection of 61st Street and Broadway was officially co-named Shri Guru Ravidass Marg in honor of the great poet and social reformer. The event was presided over by New York City Councilmember Shekar Krishnan, the first Indian-American ever elected to the New York City Council.

Daniel Carter Beard (1850-1941) was a prominent Progressive-era reformer, outdoor enthusiast, illustrator, and author, and is considered one of the founders of American Scouting. His series of articles for St. Nicholas Magazine formed the basis for The American Boy's Handy Book (1882), a manual of outdoor sports, activities, and games that he wrote and illustrated. In addition, he authored more than 20 other books on various aspects of scouting. His work with author and wildlife artist Ernest Thompson Seton became the basis of the Traditional Scouting movement and led to the founding of the Boy Scouts of America in 1910. Beard was born on June 21, 1850, in Cincinnati, Ohio. When he was 11, his family moved across the Ohio River to Covington, Kentucky. The fourth of six children, he was the son of Mary Caroline (Carter) Beard and James Henry Beard, a celebrated portrait artist. In 1869, Beard earned a degree in civil engineering from Worrall's Academy in Covington and then worked as an engineer and surveyor in the Cincinnati area. In 1874, Beard was hired by the Sanborn Map and Publishing Company, and his surveying work led him to travel extensively over the eastern half of the United States. His family joined him in moving to New York City in 1878, and they settled in Flushing. From 1880 to 1884, Beard studied at the Art Students League, where he befriended fellow student Ernest Thompson Seton. Beard’s time there inspired him to work in illustration. His drawings appeared in dozens of newspapers and magazines, such as Harper's Weekly and The New York Herald, and he illustrated a number of well-known books, including Mark Twain’s A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court (1889) and Tom Sawyer Abroad (1894). In 1894, he met and married Beatrice Alice Jackson, and together they had two children, Barbara and Daniel. His career led him into the magazine industry, and he became editor of the wildlife periodical Recreation in 1902. While at Recreation, he wrote a monthly youth column, and in 1905, he founded the Sons of Daniel Boone to promote outdoor recreation for boys. By 1906, he had moved on to Women’s Home Companion and then to Pictorial Review three years later. In 1909, he founded Boy Pioneers of America, which merged together a year later with similar scouting groups, including Seton’s Woodcraft Indians, to become the Boy Scouts of America. In 1910, Beard founded Troop 1 in Flushing, one of the oldest continuously chartered Boy Scout Troops in the United States. Beard was one of the Boy Scouts’ first National Commissioners, holding the position for more than 30 years until his death. Known to millions of Boy Scouts as “Uncle Dan,” he served as editor of Boys’ Life, the organization’s monthly magazine, and he became an Eagle Scout at age 64. In 1922, he received the gold Eagle Scout badge for distinguished service, the only time the badge was awarded. Through his work with his sisters, Lina and Adelia Beard, who together wrote The American Girls Handy Book (1887), Beard also encouraged girls to take up scouting. He helped in the organization of Camp Fire Girls and served as president of Camp Fire Club of America. His autobiography, Hardly a Man Is Now Alive, was published in 1939, and Beard died at home in Suffern, NY, on June 11, 1941. In 1965, his childhood home in Covington, Kentucky, became a National Historic Landmark. Daniel Carter Beard Memorial Square is located in Beard’s former neighborhood of Flushing at the intersection of Farrington Street and Northern Boulevard. A street co-naming ceremony in Beard’s honor was held on June 28, 2014. Other sites in Flushing named for Beard include Daniel Carter Beard Mall and J.H.S. 189 Daniel Carter Beard.

Mary Lena Waller Moody (1924–2021) was a committed community leader in Corona and East Elmhurst. Waller Moody began as a volunteer with the Board of Education and later served as the president of the Parent Teacher Association at P.S. 92 in Corona. This led to a career in education when she was hired as a school aide at P.S. 92 in 1962, eventually becoming the school’s supervisory paraprofessional. She retired from the New York City Board of Education in 1995. Waller Moody was active in many community efforts. She was a Girl Scout Leader at the First Baptist Church in Corona, an election inspector, and a supervisor for a Saturday educational program for children at Grace Episcopal Church. She also owned and operated Big City Realty, which helped find housing for low-income families in Corona, and provided daycare services for working mothers in the area. Her other community involvement included supporting the Flushing Meadow Soap Box Derby and collecting toys for disabled children at Goldwater Hospital. She received numerous citations, awards, and proclamations during her life. Two of the most memorable experiences for her were being crowned Miss Fine Brown Frame of Harlem and receiving a City Proclamation for "Mrs. Mary Moody Day" at City Hall in October 2019.

John Bowne (1627-1695) was an English emigrant who arrived in in New Netherland, or Vlissingen (now Flushing) in 1649. He fought against Governor Pieter Stuyvesant's edict to restrict religious freedom by allowing Quakers to meet in his home. Bowne was arrested, fined and imprisoned for months by Gov. Stuyvesant and even deported due to his religious activities, though he was later set free by the Directors of the West India Company. He returned to his home later and acquired more land, including that designated for the Flushing Quaker Meeting House and a burial ground, where he was buried upon his death in 1695. Flushing had the previous name of Flushing Creeke by the original inhabitants who lived there, the Matinecock people, part of the larger Algonquin nation. While the Matinecock people are said to have sold land to the Dutch, and possibly to Bowne as well, there was also documented violence against them prior to this, as well as a smallpox epidemic that devastated the community years later in 1652. Members of the Matinecock tribe remain in Queens today.

Cavaliere Vincent Iannece (1925-2005) served the community for many years and in many ways. He was the founder of the Federation of the Italian American Organization of Queens, and was instrumental in organizing and hosting the Queens Columbus Day Parade for more than four decades. Iannece was also the founder of the St. Michael’s Society and an active member of the Astoria Civic Association; he was appointed as a member of Community Board 1 in 1993.

Carlos R. Lillo (1963-2001), was a paramedic for the New York City Fire Department’s Emergency Medical Services Division who died while on duty on September 11, 2001.  Raised in Astoria, Queens, Lillo began his career in emergency medicine as a volunteer with the Astoria Volunteer Ambulance Corps. As an emergency medical technician (EMT), Lillo joined the city’s Emergency Medical Services in 1984. He worked on a tactical unit in some of the roughest neighborhoods in the Bronx during one of the most active times in EMS history. Pursuing his dream career, Lillo attained advanced lifesaving skills and became a paramedic in 1990. Lillo demonstrated his dedication and commitment to the citizens of the city, state and country as he performed his duties on September 11, 2001. Carlos Lillo Park serves as a touchstone for the many families who lost loved ones on 9/11 and provides the neighborhood with a place for solace and reflection

Clement Clarke Moore (1779–1863) was a professor of Oriental and Greek literature at New York's General Theological Seminary from 1823 to 1850. He also donated a large piece of land that he had inherited, located in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood, to the seminary. Moore wrote on a variety of topics but is best known today as the author of the enduringly popular Christmas poem, "A Visit from St. Nicholas." The poem was first published anonymously in 1823 and there has been debate over its true authorship; many scholars believe it was actually written by Henry Livingston, Jr., but decisive proof has been elusive. The poem became a classic popularly known as "The Night Before Christmas” and brought the idea of Santa Claus to mainstream culture. Moore died in Newport, Rhode Island in 1863. The Moore family was among the earliest settlers of Elmhurst, Queens, having been granted 80 acres there in the mid-1600s; Clement Moore spent much of his childhood at the family estate in Newtown. The Moore Homestead Playground, also in Elmhurst, is named in the family's honor. Prior to the colonization of Elmhurst, the land was considered part of the Canarsie and Munsee Lenape territories.

Ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Wilson Rantus Rock, October 27, 2022.

Antoinette Jamilah Ali-Sanders (1958-2019) worked to improve society as a designer, developer and organizer. A third-generation college graduate, she trained as a landscape architect with a minor in civil engineering. She was one of the first Black women to graduate in landscape architecture from Rutgers University. Ali-Sanders worked for the NYC Parks Department for 35 years. At Parks, she worked with the first group of women out in the field in 1981. She prepared contract drawings and documents, and inspected, monitored, managed and supervised the construction of parks, playgrounds and structures, as well as the restoration of monuments. She also founded a construction company called Metro Skyway Construction; a foundation for PEACE (Progressive Economics and Cultural Enrichment); and the Jersey City Monitoring Trade Association. She worked closely with Rev. Al Sharpton, Mayor David Dinkins and Dr. Lenora Fulani when she became a member of the Committee for Independent Community Actions. One of Ali-Sanders' last architectural projects was for a Pan African activist named Queen Makkada, who was planning to build a school in Africa. She was given the honorary title of Lady Jamilah before her passing.

Firefighter William “Billy” Tolley (1974-2017) was a 14-year veteran of the FDNY who was assigned to Ladder 135. Before he was able to join the FDNY, Billy was a volunteer firefighter with the Hicksville Fire Department, Rescue 8, attaining the rank of lieutenant. In 2011, he joined the Bethpage Fire Department and was assigned to Ladder Company 3. He was killed in the line of duty while helping contain an apartment fire in Queens, falling to his death from the roof of a five-story building. In addition to being a firefighter, he was also a talented drummer whose passion for percussion led him to become a influential drummer in the heavy metal scene. With his band, Internal Bleeding, he helped write and release five very successful albums that made strong impressions on drummers across the world. He is survived by his wife, Marie, and daughter, Isabella. This street renaming near Billy’s firehouse, Ladder 135, occurred on September 26, 2018.

David Franklin Bluford (1932-2020) served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, and earned an honorable discharge. Upon completing his undergraduate studies at Fayetteville State University in North Carolina, he earned a Masters of Arts from CUNY Hunter College, as well as certifications for Advanced Study in Education at Columbia University and St. John’s University. He later served as an Assistant Superintendent and Junior High School Principal in East Harlem’s Community School District 4, and a middle school teacher in Brooklyn’s Community School District 23. His history as an administrator included stints as director of the Upward Bound college preparatory program at CUNY Queens College, and adjunct professor of educational administration at CUNY Brooklyn College and St. John’s University.  Locally, he served on the Board of Directors of the Queens Urban League, and as Chairman of the Alpha Phi Alpha Senior Center and Community School Board 29 in Southeast Queens. His personal affiliations also include the Jamaica NAACP branch, Freemasons, and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. He received many awards, such as Outstanding Educator, Jamaica Branch of the NAACP, the Jackie Robinson Junior High School Man of the Year Award, The Distinguished Citizens Service Award and the Community Service Award. Renee Noelyn Bluford (1937-2021) was born in Brooklyn, New York. She graduated from PS167 Elementary School and Erasmus Hall High School iand received a Bachelor of Science Degree from Baruch College (CUNY). Renee worked as an Information Technology Senior Purchasing Manager for New York City under the Koch Administration ane eventually closed out her career as the owner of the first successful Allstate Insurance Agency in Southeast Queens. Her career with Allstate spanned 30 years. and she received the “Concerned Citizen Award” for invigorating economic development in Southeast Queens.  Renee has been honored as the recipient the “Concerned Citizen Award” for invigorating economic development in Southeast Queens. We was awarded of numerous other awards from Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Jamaica Service Program for Older Adults, Greater Queens Chapter of the Links, NAACP, New York State Association of Black and Puerto Rican Legislators and many other local, state, and community organizations. Renee’s philosophy was “If I can help somebody my living would not be in vain.”