Beloved Detroit schools figure Tyrone Winfrey dead after battle with cancer
Beloved Detroit public school figure Tyrone Winfrey dead at 63
Tyrone Winfrey, who was intimately involved in the Detroit Public School system as both a former school board president and advocate for children as a host of back-to-school events and other community affairs, died over the weekend. The 63-year-old lost his battle with prostate cancer after five years.
DETROIT (FOX 2) - Detroit public schools lost an important member of its community over the weekend when Tyrone Winfrey, a passionate advocate for kids and former president of the school district board died.
The 63-year-old lost a five-year fight with prostate cancer on Saturday, his family said.
Winfrey was beloved by his family and friends and will be remembered for his commitment to the district.
Winfrey most recently worked as the director of community affairs at Detroit Public Schools.
"I can tell you with absolute certainty that Tyrone - to the end - fought and worked extremely hard for Detroit children," Superintendent Dr. Nikolai Vitti said. "Just his work ethic was unbelievable. For Tyrone it was never about a paycheck, it was never about a title - it was always about a purpose."
Winfrey had seen it all, described as a titan and a giant. He served on the school board, was there for the state takeover, when the district was under emergency management, worked for the state's educational achievement authority, and never gave up on Detroit's children.
"Here you had one man that managed to be a major force in every single major education issue that faced the Detroit public schools," Georgella Muirhead said. It really didn't matter who he was talking to - what their personalities or politics were - he had to find a common ground because he cared about the kids."
Muirhead knew and worked with Winfrey for years. She and others, like Deputy Mayor Todd Bettison say this is a tremendous loss for the city.
"I know that Tyrone would definitely want us to carry on and to out and work hard each and every day to make this a better community so that's what I want to do, and so if you really want to celebrate and honor Tyrone - that's what we all have to do," Bettison said.
In addition to his time on the school board, he also worked as a deacon for his church at the Greater Grace Temple.
It was at his congregation where he hosted school events and college fairs that offered scholarships to kids trying to break into higher education.
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Winfrey was also responsible for organizing back-to-school events at the district.
"Detroit has lost a great public servant… Tyrone was a tireless advocate for the education of Detroit's children," Mayor Mike Duggan said in a statement. "Many attribute their success at the University of Michigan to Tyrone and his strong passion for equal access to higher education."
Winfrey was the husband of Janice Winfrey, who is the Detroit City Clerk.