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Dr. Gerald Deas: Honoring a Southeast Queens Legend, Healer, and Cultural Light
Southeast Queens is mourning the reported passing of one of its most respected men, Dr. Gerald Deas — a brilliant physician, community servant, cultural worker, and elder whose life embodied healing in every sense of the word.
Dr. Deas, reportedly in his 90s, represented a generation of Black physicians who practiced medicine when access to quality healthcare for our people was neither equal nor guaranteed. His work helped lay the foundation for today’s fight for health equity in our communities.
Though major media outlets have yet to formally report his transition, word within the community is that Dr. Deas has become an Ancestor. For those who knew him, worked alongside him, or were healed by his hands and spirit, the loss is deeply felt.
Dr. Deas was far more than a medical doctor. He was a community institution.
