The intersection of 28th Avenue and 44th Street was co-named the Elizabeth White Marcum Way on Sunday. Photo via @jimmyvanbramer on Instagram
May 12, 2025 By Shane O’Brien
A number of elected officials and community advocates gathered in Astoria Sunday for a street co-naming in honor of former Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer’s late mother, Elizabeth White Marcum.
Attorney-General Letitia James, New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, Council Member Tiffany Cabán and Assembly Members Jessica González-Rojas and Claire Valdez joined Van Bramer to rename the corner of 28th Avenue and 44th Street as the “Elizabeth White Marcum Way” on Mother’s Day on Sunday, May 11.
White Marcum, who was born in January 1940, was a lifelong Queens resident and was described as a “beloved pillar” of the local Astoria community during Sunday’s co-naming.
Cabán said White Marcum was “deeply committed” to service and described her as a “tireless” volunteer in the local community. White Marcum took on leadership roles in Boy Scout Troop 470 and Girl Scout Troop 500 and was one of the first female Cub Scout leaders in the area.
She used her role to mentor countless children and teach the importance of civic engagement, Cabán said.
White Marcum worked in neighborhood supermarkets and babysat local children after becoming a mother at age 17. She was also a proud member of her union and became an advocate for workers’ rights. Her activism expanded when Van Bramer came out as gay in 1989.
“Elizabeth responded with unconditional love and became a vocal advocate for LGBTQ+ rights. She joined Pride marches, parent support groups, and Western Queens for Marriage Equality. In May 2009 she joined over 2,000 people in Athens Square Park for a massive rally demanding marriage equality,” Cabán noted prior to Sunday’s event.
White Marcum was also a founding member of the Friends of Broadway Library and participated in several rallies and marches outside the library opposing former Mayor Mike Bloomberg’s proposed budget cuts to Queens libraries in 2010-11. She also participated in numerous clean-up days across Western Queens.
Van Bramer said his first Mother’s Day without his mother was “still beautiful”, stating that his mother’s life and legacy were immortalized on the corner of her street.
“For her contributions to be highlighted means the world to all of us,” Van Bramer said in a post on social media.
Valdez described White Marcum as a “force for justice” and a “beloved” community leader in Queens.
“Jimmy’s words about his mother, and the need to uplift women who inspire us, were so powerful, we can only hope to live lives worthy of such a tribute,” Valdez said in a statement.
Van Bramer, who served three terms in the City Council representing District 26 before becoming an executive with the Girl Scouts of Greater New York, said he would “give anything” to have his mother with him on Mother’s Day.
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