Honoring a Man of Honor, Rev. Dr. Lewis Flowers

Rev. Dr. Lewis Flowers, Ph.D. Vietnam War Veteran, U.S. Army 1968-70 Chairman -Westside Ministers Coalition March 9, 1952 - December 9, 2012 REV. DR. LEWIS FLOWERS, CHAIRMAN OF THE WESTSIDE MINISTERS COALITION, DEAD AT 62 By Chinta Strausberg Rev. Dr. Lewis Flowers, 62, former President of the Westside Ministers Coalition and chairman of the Board, passed last night at his home at 2:50 a.m. having recently been released from a hospital, Rev. Phalese Binion, president of the Westside Ministers Coalition, confirmed Sunday morning. A Vietnam veteran, Dr. Flowers was pronounced dead at 2:50 a.m. at the West Suburban Hospital, according to his daughter, Blaire Flowers. Dr. Flowers had been in several hospitals prior to his death last night, Dr. Binion said. The powerful Dr. Flowers, who served for more than three decades as the president of that Coalition, was known for his battles on social justice on the West Side of Chicago particularly in the Austin community where, as a spokesman for the Community Reinvestment Organizing Project (COP), demanded that Mayor Rahm Emanuel include Austin, which reportedly led in the number of foreclosures, be included in the mayor’s $15 million Foreclosure Recovery Program. “The State of Illinois has lost a true icon,” said rev. Binion. “I just thank God he will now be able to rest but those of us who must go on and fill his shoes and pick up and carry on the work he has so tirelessly and restlessly fought for must go on. We have our work cut out for us, but we know we won’t let him down. We won’t let the people down and most of all we will not let God down. We will do it in a state of excellence and in Dr. Lewis’ memory,” Rev. Binion told this reporter. Dr. Flowers leaves to mourn his wife, Cynthia, three sons, Durand, Duwane and Elijah, two daughters, Lanita Joyner and Blaire Flowers, three brothers, Victor, Cornelius and Dennis, three sisters, Lorinda, Jocelyn and Aretha, nine grandchildren and one grand-child. Funeral arrangements are as follows: Wake Saturday Dec. 15th 10AM Pleasant Ridge 116 S. Central Ave. (between Madison and Monroe) Chicago, Il. Repast arrangements pending. DO NOT SEND FLOWERS to the church, instead send DONATIONS to the West Side Minister's Coaltion www.westcoalition.org/or call Call Linda Barker 773) 858-4453 Office 773) 261-0207