SPOKANE, Wash. — A celebration of life was held Friday at Life Center Church in West Spokane for Reverend Percy “Happy” Watkins.
Rev. Watkins was the pastor at New Hope Baptist Church for 30 years.
Hundreds of people turned out to honor Watkins, who spent his life working to make the Lilac City a better place for everyone to live. Fellow pastors, community leaders and Mayor Lisa Brown gave thanks to Rev. Watkins for everything he gave to the community.
“He led with moral authority. That’s really important. He led with integrity and moral authority. His grace, his warmth, all of that mattered,” Mayor Brown said.
Watkins passed away on Oct. 25, leaving behind a legacy for the underprivileged. He was a man filled with compassion, hope and humor that could put people at ease. He once told 4 News Now that hope is the greatest gift we can pass on to the next generation.
Watkins also helped keep the dream of Martin Luther King Jr. alive for more than 50 years. He worked as a civil rights activist and co-founded the annual MLK March.
NAACP president Lisa Gardner and MLK Center executive director Freda Gandy both thanked Watkins for his mentorship.
“I am proud to say that I’m a child of the community,” Gardner said. “I’m a child of the community of the late Ivan Bush and I’m a child of the community of the late Reverend Percy ‘Happy’ Watkins.”
Former Spokane Public Schools superintendent Gary Livingston and Gonzaga Prep president Michael Dougherty thanked Rev. Watkins for the impact he made on education in the community. Watkins has dozens of scholarships in his name at Gonzaga Prep and was part of its executive board.
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