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Hundreds
pay
respect
at
Homegoing for
Eleanor
Josaitis
By Karen
Hudson
Samuels/Tell
Us
Detroit
 DETROIT
(Tell Us
Det) -
Detroit
will
never
see the
likes of
another
Eleanor
M.
Josaitis,
one
woman
whose 43
years of
selfless
dedication
to
racial
justice
lifted
the
hopes,
dreams
and
lives of
so many.
Over 700
mourners,
from
every
walk of
life,
filled
the pews
of the
Cathedral
of the
Most
Blessed
Sacrament
Saturday
afternoon
to say
their
final
goodbyes
to
Eleanor
M.
Josaitis,
the
co-founder
of
Focus:
HOPE who
died
August
9th at
age 79
from
cancer.
“All you
have to
do is
look
around.
There
are all
sorts of
people
here,
from
political
leaders,
religious
leaders,
employed
and
unemployed,
students
and
teachers”
said
Reverend
Timothy
Kane, “I
see
people
of every
race and
every
lifestyle.”
The
power to
bring
people
together
in a
mission
to
eliminate
racism
and
poverty
through
education
was at
the core
of
Eleanor’s
leadership.
The
story of
the
housewife
who left
the
comfort
and
security
of her
suburban
home to
help
heal the
city’s
wounds
after
1967
riots is
a now
legendary
episode
in the
history
of
Detroit.
Josaitis
and the
late
Father
William
Cunningham
joined
forces
in 1968
to found
Focus:
Hope.
U.S.
Senator
Carl
Levin
spoke at
the
funeral
and
praised
Josaitis
for her
action.
He told
those
gathered
about
her
efforts
to feed
the
hungry
and
provide
job
skills
to those
in need.
"Eleanor
got hate
letters,
it just
furthered
her
resolve,"
said
Senator
Levin.
The
current
CEO of
Focus:
HOPE
William
F. Jones
thanked
the
Josaitis
family
for
“sharing
your
wife and
mother
with us
in
making a
dream a
reality.
Jones
pledged
to keep
doing
the
things
Eleanor
wanted
done and
said the
future
will
bring
growth
in the
Focus:
HPE
workforce
development
program.
“Intelligent,
practical
action”
was
Eleanor’s
style,
she
wouldn’t
accept
no and
was not
easily
intimated.
U.S.
Senator
Carl
Levin
spoke
before
the
church
about
impact
of
Eleanor’s
programs.
Her
national
food
program
feeds
hundreds
and
thousands
of low
income
families
and won
Congressional
approval.
Levin
said the
Focus:
HOPE’s
machinist,
technical
and
computer
programs
launched
thousands
of
hundreds
of
careers
was
nationally
recognized
for its
community
services.
As would
be
fitting
a
champion
of civil
rights,
the
funeral
service
opened
with the
Lift
Every
Voice
and
Sing”,
the
Negro
National
Anthem
and
closed
with
everyone
singing
“We
Shall
Overcome”
as they
filed
out of
the
cathedral.
Focus:
HOPE
CEO,
William
Jones,
Jr. said
in
Josaitis’
memory,
“I
believe
her
legacy
is that
she has
helped
changed
the
trajectory
of so
many
lives
and so
many
communities
here in
Detroit
and
inspired
so many
other
people
to do
good,
it’s
really
not
something
that can
be
easily
calculated.”
And
finally
a
message
from
Tell Us
Detroit
to the
Josaitis
family
and
Focus
Hope, it
comes
from a
speech
by the
late
Senator
Edward
Kennedy:
“The
work
goes on,
the
cause
endures,
the hope
still
lives
and the
dream
shall
never
die”.
Josaitis
was to
be
cremated
following
the
mass.
Memorial
contributions
can be
made to
the
Eleanor
Josaitis
Fund for
Focus:
HOPE,
1355
Oakman
Blvd,
Detroit,
Michigan,
48238
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