4-24-13: It is with great shock and disbelief that I read the following e-mail. She was a giant, both literally and figuratively, in the PA movement. I mainly saw her at the various conferences that we would attend, such as APHA and others, and every time she saw me, she would greet me with an enthusiastic "Hey Ernie!" and give me a big hug. She was one of the first PA Evangelists I have met, and her tireless effort in getting people more physically active has always been an inspiration to me. Her passing will be sorely missed, and we'll continue to fight the good fight in her honor and memory.
R.I.P. Toni, and I look forward to doing some active exercise with you in the earth made new!
There's a write up in the LA Times on this.
Ernie
April 24, 2013Dear Ernie,
As many of you may know already, our colleague Dr. Antronette Yancey died yesterday morning, April 23, after a valiant and spirited fight with cancer. Within CCPHA, Dr. Yancey was a friend, mentor and co-conspirator. Within our field of healthy and active living, Dr. Yancey was a brilliant and accessible giant, one who championed big ideas that could be realized through achievable steps. She had the sharpest of academic minds, and she freely shared her scientific findings with all who could use them. Her commitment to eliminating health disparities within low income communities and communities of color within California and the United States was unparalleled. And she was so much fun to be around.
Earlier this year, CCPHA awarded Dr. Yancey our 2012 David Kessler Award for Contribution to the Public’s Health. This award is given to a researcher or medical professional whose visionary work has had an extraordinary impact on public health, particularly in relation to obesity and/or diabetes – pushing the public health community to take action in new, more meaningful ways.
Like many of you, we will re-double our efforts to make her vision of healthy, thriving communities a reality. We send our collective love and healing thoughts to Dr. Yancey’s family, friends, colleagues at UCLA and partners around the country.
To learn more about Dr. Yancey, visit her website here.
Warmly,
Dr. Harold Goldstein and the Staff of CCPHA
