We mourn the loss of our friend and District Leader Cynthia Doty.

Three Parks is hosting a memorial service:
Sunday, Oct. 1^st
4:00 to 6:15 PM. Reception to follow.
St. Michael's Episcopal Church
Amsterdam Ave. and W. 99th Street

To add a rememberance to the guest book click here

[From John Doty, Cynthia's nephew.]

Dear Friends,

It is with great sadness that I share the news of the passing of my aunt, Cynthia Doty. Our family is shocked and deeply saddened to have lost her so suddenly.

Cynthia was a dedicated public servant who was deeply engaged in her community. Most recently, she served as the Manhattan Deputy Chief Clerk of the NYC Board of Elections and a Democratic District Leader. She previously served as a Special Assistant to Assembly Member Ed Sullivan and was herself a candidate for both the Assembly and the City Council.

She loved her Three Parks Democratic club, campaigning for Presidential, Congressional, State, and local candidates, and attending Democratic National Conventions. She was always excited to meet with NY Senator Hillary Clinton, Senator Chuck Schumer, Rep. Jerry Nadler, and Rep. Charlie Rangel. She was delighted to meet Speaker Nancy Pelosi and was an avid collector of campaign buttons.

She loved birds and sent updates to us on the NYC hawks and celebrity birds of central park - an owl or a wood duck that had captured the imagination of New Yorkers.

She loved the Jersey Shore - specifically Long Beach Island -- and visited often as a child and an adult. She would grill fish outside, visit with her parents, brothers, nieces, and nephews, and take her dog Livy for long walks on the beach. In 1994, when I asked for her advice about who I should work for in Washington, she told me to work for Congressman Jerrold Nadler. That advice changed my life and led to a long career in his office, which continues to this day.

In 2002, I helped Cynthia run for the New York Assembly. I kept a box of materials from the campaign in my attic. As I look through it tonight, I am reminded how strong she was, how caring she was, and how much of an impact she had on so many people’s lives. I found a flyer with her name on it, Carl McCall, and special guest Earvin "Magic" Johnson. She had a rally with Magic Johnson!!! She loved meeting VIPs and the politically famous, but her real love was her community­working side by side with her neighbors to make their lives better. The theme for her campaign was "helping people". Helping seniors, helping renters, helping women. Turns out it was not a winning message that year, but it was what she was all about.

There is so much to Cynthia and her life and so many memories. I was always so impressed with her early career in the theater – working in costume design on the Wiz with Michael Jackson and Diana Ross, working with the three tenors in the opera, on Broadway, and even with the circus. I remember her showing me the costumes for the elephants in a warehouse somewhere in New York. I was moved when she told me that she left the theater because so many of her friends were dying of AIDS and she wanted to rededicate herself to public service. She was a truly giving and loving person. She had a lovely laugh, a chuckle - often at the most difficult moments of life. And she soldiered on in the face of difficulty. Even when the odds were stacked against her, even if the task seemed impossible, she would carry on and hope for the best. She didn't always win, but that didn't seem to bother her.

When her campaign for Assembly ended, I wrote her an email summarizing what I thought went right and what went wrong. I ended the message with this: "I am very proud of you. I learned a lot from you. I respect you tremendously, and I think you impressed thousands of people with your hard work, care for others, and ability to solve problems other people don't even bother trying to solve. "Congratulations on the campaign!!"

Cynthia has taught so many of us so much. She has inspired thousands of people to participate in the political process, to stand up for what they believe in, to organize, to get involved in the community, and to vote.

To honor Cynthia, let us all dedicate ourselves to doing something kind for others, to fighting for an impossible cause that we know is the right thing to do, and to take time to walk on the beach and listen to the birds. Think of her when you vote. And the next time someone asks you to sign a petition, think of Cynthia, and go ahead and sign it.

We miss you Cynthia and can't believe you are really gone.

Love,
John