Beverly Rotter, AIDS Crusader And Beloved Grandmother, Dies At 82

Beverly Rotter, a longtime crusader for those infected with HIV/AIDS and a beloved member of the Sheepshead Bay community, passed away at a local hospital on Wednesday, October 7. She was 82.

The cause of death was respiratory and heart failure, her granddaughter Melissa De La Cruz said.

Beverly joined the AIDS movement after her daughter Iris De La Cruz became infected. Iris fought to eliminate the stigma associated with HIV and inspired many with her honesty about living with the disease. Sadly, Iris succumbed to AIDS in 1991.

“My mother was a very empowered woman, and she got that from my grandmother,” said Melissa, who is Iris’ daughter. “My grandmother was way ahead of her time. She could be exceptionally charming and still maintain her position as a strong woman.”

Beverly took up her daughter’s torch after she passed away and helped build Iris House, a center focused on providing services to women of color infected with HIV. The center started with a three person staff in 1992. More than two decades later, the center, headquartered in Harlem, has grown considerably and now has 46 full-time and 17 part-time employees and an operating budget of $5.5 million, according to the Iris House website.

Beverly served on the Iris House board of directors for many years.

“There were places for gay men to go. And for men in general to go. But there wasn’t really any place that had specific AIDS services that were geared towards women and children,” Melissa said. “So we got together and said: ‘Well, there’s a need.'”

Beverly also founded  “Mothers March Against AIDS” and continued to council those afflicted with the disease, as well as to provide AIDS prevention information to high school students.

“After my mother passed away, my grandmother became very active in the AIDS community. She would get people together and host passover dinners where she would invite people with AIDS. Just so people with AIDS had somewhere to go on the holidays, whether they were Jewish or not,” Melissa said.

Beverly was born in Canarsie on July 4, 1933.

“She was born on the 4th of July and when she was younger, my great grandmother used to tell her that the fireworks were for her,” Melissa said.

Beverly graduated from Canarsie High School. She moved to a building on Emmons Avenue and Knapp Street in the 1970s, which later became a co-op.

Melissa said her grandmother was best known in the neighborhood for working the cash register at Caravelle in Midwood.

“Everybody knew her from the Caravelle. She sold pins, and bags, and jewelry and stuff at the bar. it was really nice. It was a cute thing,” said Melissa. “She was friends with everybody. Every time we walked into a restaurant around the neighborhood, everybody knew her.”

Beverly Rotter’s funeral service will take place at 1pm on Sunday, October 18, at Wellwood Cemetery in Long Island. Those interested in attending should email Melissa De La Cruz at mjaydelacruz@yahoo.com.