Viewing page 13 of 256

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

[[continued]]State Office Building Dies in New York

1913; he was the son of James Percy Ifill, a prominent New York lawyer, and Louise Costa Ifill. His formative education began in the public school system of New York. He graduated from P.S. 89; Jr. High School 139; DeWitt Clinton High School; then attending Cornell University and received his architectural degree from New York University.

He was a member of Aloha Phi Alpha Fraternity, numerous architectural societies, and was cited by several African countries for the designs his firm executed for building a government complex in the Republic of Guinea, West Africa, and the O'Jike Memorial Medical Center, Lagos, Nigeria.

A brilliantly educated and cultural man, Percy walked the highways of the mighty with dignity; yet because of his thoughtfulness and sensitivity of the feelings of the lowly, he was courageous enough to do something about their desires and expressions and he gave freely and liberally of himself and his talents in serving their needs. I know this for a fact because in my official role was Borough President and more so as a friend I know of all the time and energy he devoted free of charge to the planning and development of the thoughts of the people of his community and this community of Harlem towards making it a better world for all of us to live in and enjoy. No community group was too small for him to trudge these Harlem streets nightly to hear of their desires and wishes and then to go back to his drawing board to translate them into reality.

Such buildings as this Very Church and Mount Calvary Baptist Church of our community received the benefits of his talents; the State Office Building now in the process of completion, Mount Morris Park Swimming Pool and Bathhouse, St. Martin's Tower, a large housing development, planning for several phases of Milbank Frawley Circle, St. Philip's Youth Center, Harlem Methodist Church Youth Center, Kenneth Phipps PAL Center, Carver Federal and Freedom National Bank Buildings, Public School 13, and the Medgar Evers College are but a few of the monuments of his art which he has left us to enjoy.

Mr. Ifill is survived by his loving and devoted wife, Natsu; his sister, Elaine; and an aunt, Adelaide Seifert, the mother of Mrs. Shirley Rector; a cousin, who is a member of my staff; Clarentine Ifill, Alan Ifill, and a host of nephews and nieces, and a rafter of friends in his profession and the people of his community.

[[images - 4 black & white photographs of scenes from the funeral]]