EAST ELMHURST — Longtime civic leader Ivan Lafayette, who spent more than 30 years in the state Assembly, died this week at 86, officials said.
Lafayette was a veteran of the United States Army who moved to Jackson Heights 60 years ago with his wife, Bertine. He became involved soon after in various civic groups, and was elected to the Assembly in 1977.
He stepped down from his Assembly seat in 2008 to take a job with the state Department of Insurance, according to reports at the time.
His successor, Assemblyman Michael DenDekker, said Lafayette would be remembered as someone who "loved and fought for Jackson Heights over his entire career."
"While Mr. Lafayette’s accomplishments and leadership in Albany were commendable, he will be best remembered as a pillar in our community," he said.
He advocated for schools, passed laws that made it illegal to drive without insurance, and was one of the first elected officials in New York to support same-sex marriage, according to the Lesbian & Gay Democratic Club of Queens.
Rep. Joe Crowley said he saw how "deeply [Lafayette] cared about the people he represented."
"Through his more than three decades of public service, Ivan touched the lives of so many and I know he will be sorely missed," he said in a statement.
A funeral will be held Thursday, Oct. 6, 2016 at 2 p.m. at the Schwartz Brothers Funeral Home, 114-03 Queens Blvd. in Forest Hills.
His family will also sit shiva at their home at 77-12 35th Ave., Apt. B22, in Jackson Heights, from 4 to 7 p.m. on Thursday.
