By Ava Stryker-Robbins
Before Cynthia Doty became the political and neighborhood force she was, she had a lengthy career as a costume and set designer. She worked as a designer’s assistant traveling with her company to do fittings in Rome, Santa Fe, and New York City, her brother, Warren Doty told the West Side Rag on a phone interview. This included working on The Wiz with Michael Jackson and Diana Ross and the Three Tenors. But, when a number of her friends fell victim to AIDS in the early days of the crisis, according to her nephew, John Doty, Cynthia was so devastated she decided to dedicate the remainder of her life to public service.
And that she did. In addition to working for Democratic candidates at the national and local levels, Cynthia was a leader and member of numerous organizations where she committed herself to fighting for a more transparent and engaged Upper West Side. She made her mark — and her sudden passing on July 17, 2023, is being felt by everyone who had the privilege of knowing her.
According to Theresa Canter, membership coordinator of the Three Parks Democrats club, Cynthia worked as the Manhattan deputy chief clerk of the Board of Elections, while also serving as the district leader for the 69th Assembly District.
She was active in a number of community organizations, including serving as the chair of the West 102nd and 103rd Streets Block Association, on which she served for over 33 years; vice president of the 24th Precinct’s Community Council, and a member of the Interfaith Assembly on Homelessness & Housing, the Morningside/ W. Harlem Sanitation Coalition, National Night Out, West End Avenue Preservation Society, West Harlem CSA, Bloomingdale Aging in Place, Bloomingdale Neighborhood History Group, and Friends of Morningside Park.
Cynthia served as an assistant to State Assembly Member Ed Sullivan before she ran for the Assembly herself in 2002. She also ran for the New York City Council in 2005. She loved campaigning for Democratic candidates and attending the Democratic National Conventions. She was always ecstatic to meet with Hillary Clinton, Chuck Schumer, Jerry Nadler, Charlie Rangel, and Nancy Pelosi, according to John Doty. Fellow District Leader, Daniel Marks Cohen, told West Side Rag on a phone interview that Cynthia worked tirelessly over the course of two and a half years to change the zoning of Manhattan Valley to provide for increased density, while also implementing height limits.
“She was very earnest and serious in both her community and political work – a voice of reason and calmness. All important qualities for a problem solver,” Canter added.
Cynthia also greatly enjoyed nature. She grew up going to her beach house on Long Beach Island, New Jersey, and never ceased to love the Jersey shore. Additionally, Cynthia was an ardent bird watcher. Her brother Warren says one of his favorite memories of her was this spring when she used the Merlin app on her phone to track down an Ovenbird. She spent hours on end using the app to identify its chirps until eventually, she secured a photo of it. Judy Wood, former district leader, also has fond memories of Cynthia walking around with binoculars to birdwatch when she visited her in Cape Cod.
Born in 1951, Cynthia grew up in Philadelphia as the youngest of three. She attended the Philadelphia High School for Girls where she played field hockey, was active in the Girl Scouts, played in the orchestra, and was the president of the athletics association. Her senior year, she was given the award of “Scholar, Athlete, and Leader,” according to her long-term close friend, Ruth Arnold. Cynthia attended Ursinus College before transferring to Emerson College, from which she graduated in 1974.
“She had a wonderful sense of humor…She was very on point and funny at just the right moments. She had terrific timing,” Cohen shared in a phone interview. “She had the right mix of sarcasm, humor and world weariness that made her a paragon of a New Yorker. She was a good person.”
Cynthia was very attentive to detail and deeply valued her family and friends. She went out of her way to help those she cared about, and she was interested in knowing what was going on in the lives of the people who surrounded her. She was deeply committed to her neighborhood, her family, and to democracy. In a post on Facbook, John Doty added that “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.”
“Cynthia was a very alive person. The day before she collapsed, she and I were emailing, making plans for her to meet me at the shore this past weekend,” Arnold emailed West Side Rag. “I really can’t believe she’s gone. If I were to tell you the one thing I remember most about my many years of friendship with Cynthia it is that there is no one with whom I have ever laughed as hard or long as with Cynthia,” she said.
Cynthia is survived by her two brothers Warren and Edward Doty, sisters-in-law Nan Doty and Meg Doty, and six nieces and nephews Mark, John, Sarah, Noah, Alex, and Laura.
John Doty’s Facebook post concluded with the following: “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.”
The Three Parks Democrats will be holding a memorial service for Cynthia in the fall.
People like this are the backbone of any functioning community. Rest in peace.
Thank you for this article.
She sounded like a caring individual and the West Side was lucky to have her reside here.
thank you for this article.
The WSR should do a better job of covering the myriad political clubs, neighborhood organizations, and advocacy groups on the UWS. Your coverage gives the impression that the sole over-riding issue in the neighborhood is crime. That is a distortion.
I knew Cynthia Doty to say hello, not any more. But i know that she did a fantastic job and was frequently out on Bway tabling for good candidates and good causes. And there are dozens, maybe hundreds, of activists on the UWS who are doing the same sort of work. they deserve coverage,
I worked with Cynthia on the board of the W102-103 Streets Block Association since I moved here in late 1987. Her energy and knowledge were always great additions to the work of the BA but it is her humor that I will remember most. Occasionally I would get on my high horse about this issue or that, and she would let me finish and then cut me down to size with a wisecrack that would have the whole board laughing, myself included.
I will remember her each time I vote, and when I don’t see her at our Halloween event or Solstice Caroling or Spring Tree-well planting events. She is and will be missed in a big way.
This is the obituary of a great citizen in a democratic city. The leadership, the listening , the patience, the humor, the persistence, the engagement, the joy, and the service. Thank you Cynthia, thank you WSR, and thanks commenters(!)
Serving the community seems to run in her family: her brother Warren just retired after many years as a Selectman here in Chilmark , on Martha’s Vineyard. He is widely loved and respected in this town. Steve McGhee, formerly 102nd street.
A real macher.
Cynthia personified what was the best in a political activist. True compassion guided her choices and giving her all to the people and issues she worked on. Cynthia is a shining example of an activist in both electoral politics and community commitment. Cynthia will be remembered in the hearts of all who knew her and worked beside her.