PEF Vice President Jean DeBow killed in car crash with drunk driver
Members mourn DeBow as leader, friend

By DENYCE DUNCAN LACY
Tragedy struck the Public Employees Federation in June.

An early morning two-car crash in Brooklyn claimed the life of longtime labor activist Jean DeBow, a PEF vice president.

DeBow was a passenger in a car driven by Dollie Williams, a member of the PEF Executive Board and PS&T Contract Team, who was also injured.

Police have charged the driver of the other car, Erasmo Torres, 26, of Brooklyn, with driving while intoxicated and vehicular manslaughter.

“All of us at PEF are devastated over the tragic death of PEF Vice President Jean DeBow,” said PEF President Roger Benson.

“It’s a tremendous personal loss for me, and a tremendous loss for the labor movement,” he continued.
“Jean and I worked together for 10 years improving the lives and working conditions of our members downstate. Jean was an integral part of my administration, and her death leaves a huge void in the PEF family.”

Came up through the ranks
In addition to being a PEF Vice President, DeBow was a national vice president of the Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW), and a member of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU). She also served on the Queens College Labor Studies advisory board, and was a member of the Brooklyn College Black Alumni Association.

She is survived by her mother, Louise DeBow of Brooklyn.

DeBow was a grass-roots activist who gradually rose through the union’s ranks.

Prior to her first election as a PEF vice president in 1997, DeBow had been PEF Region 11 coordinator.

A senior social service management specialist with the state Health Department at the time of her death, DeBow began her state career with the former Department of Social Services (DSS) where she was elected a steward in PEF Division l9l in 1981, a position she continued to hold until her death.
She quickly moved through the ranks to serve as division secretary, assistant council leader, council leader, and Executive Board member.

“She was a very special person because of the way she treated everyone else special,” said Executive Board Member Alan Schulkin, who worked closely with DeBow in Division 191 and Region 11.

“She always made everyone, even the most difficult people to deal with, feel she was glad to see them. And she never saw you in terms of your color, your race or your religion,” Schulkin added.
Pat Baker, who succeeded DeBow as Region 11 Coordinator, says DeBow was more than a mentor to her, she was “family.”


“She was my ‘sister,’ my friend and my mentor,” Baker said. “She had a spirit that will never die. I will always remember her smile, the way she could be strong and assertive, but at the same time kind and caring.

“She leaves a legacy we should all embrace — being inclusive and showing kindness to all people. That was her approach to the labor movement, and her approach to life,” Baker added.

Commitment to sharing
PEF Vice Presidents Ken Brynien and Joe Fox worked closely on union issues with DeBow during the past three years.
Brynien noted he, too, would remember DeBow’s smile, her joy for life, and her commitment to sharing with others.

“She had a way of working with people that demonstrated both a passion for the work at hand and a commitment to including as many people in the process as possible,” Brynien said.

“She felt that her calling was to help others, and when I had lunch with her a few days before her accident, she was seeking my assistance in helping a young man. The labor movement has lost a great activist. The citizens of New York have lost a great advocate. But I have lost a great friend,” Brynien added.

Fox said he also treasured those qualities in DeBow. “I lost not only a fellow officer, but a best friend,” Fox said.

“Jean was a mentor to me — always reminding me of things that I should be doing and warning me of pitfalls,” he continued. “Her counsel was invaluable to me and I will miss it. In fact, my whole involvement in PEF at this level is due to Jean. She is the one who convinced me to run for vice president and she urged us all to fight hard for our beliefs.

“It will be my honor to carry forward the principles of fairness to the membership that Jean instilled in me,” Fox said. “Because of her, I will always try to do the right thing for the membership regardless of the consequences to me.”
Donations in DeBow’s memory may be made to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).

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