Lehigh Valley civil rights activist Marvin L. Boyer, who died late last week, is being remembered for his contributions to the community where he grew up.
“If the world had more Marvin Boyers, it would be a better place,” state Rep. Robert Freeman, D-Northampton, said Thursday at Easton City Hall, where family, friends, political leaders, and other community members gathered to honor him. “And he made his mark, and one that the family can definitely be proud of, his friends can be proud of, and our community can be proud of, because we are richer for having known him and experienced him in our lives.”
Boyer, who lived in Easton for his entire life, died March 13, which Easton Mayor Sal Panto Jr. declared Marvin Boyer Day.
Boyer was born June 12, 1949, and quickly showed signs of community-mindedness, participating in Eagle Scouts, baseball, basketball, football and religious service as an altar boy. He was a start running back at Notre Dame High School before graduating in 1967.
Boyer’s lifelong friend Clifford Ransom spoke about the incredible sense of community in Easton’s South Side as they grew up, and the role their mothers played in making a path for them to succeed.
“I was proud of that. I was proud to be a part of Marvin. I was proud to be his friend, proud to be a part of his family,” he said.
Boyer graduated from Moravian College in 1972 with a degree in political science, and began his career as a paralegal at Legal Aid, where he developed a tenant/renting rights handbook.
Well-known for his commitment to family and community, Boyer went on to found and serve on various boards and groups, including the Easton Area Neighborhood Center, the Political Action Committee for the Easton Branch NAACP, the Lehigh Valley Justice Institute, the Color of Justice forum on criminal justice, and many more.
He received numerous awards over the decades from agencies including the Boy’s and Girl’s Club and the NAACP,.
“It’s not just a great loss to your family, but to the entire city,” City Council member Frank Pintabone said at Thursday’s gathering. “It’s a huge loss for all of us.”
Freeman commended Boyer on his dedication to the community and the various organizations he served.
“I never understood where he found the time to devote to all these things, but he did, and it was a passion for him,” Freeman said. “It’s a passion to be able to make a positive impact on his community and on the things he cared about.”
Boyer’s widow, Valerie, thanked friends and family for the support, and urged Easton to continue her husband’s mission.
“I hope and pray that the community lives on in … the things that were important to him, because we need it here in Easton. … I just want everybody you know to remember that about him, take what he had and move forward,” she said.
Boyer’s daughter, Reya Liberto, sobbed as she read a final message from her father.
“This is in my dad’s handwriting: ‘In the end, people remember you for what you gave, not what you made.’ ”
Brian Myszkowski is a freelance writer.