Mayfield, Henry Edward
Army veteran & Kennedy-King College staffer, Henry Mayfield, died Oct. 22 after a heart attack.
Henry Edward Mayfield (DOB: Aug. 26, 1929) passed away Oct. 22, 2019 at 11:17 p.m. after a heart attack, according to Trinity Advocate Hospital officials. He was loved by many and will be missed. He is survived by his wife, Mamie (Allen-West) Mayfield; daughter, Iris Kirksey (& family); granddaughter, Ariel; great-granddaughters, Natalie and Kamryn; stepson, Stan West (& family); daughter-in-law, Earlene E. Strayhorn, MD; grandchildren, Lauren V. Dillon, RN, twins Amman & Jordan West; nephew, Eugene Robbins; nieces, Debby Worthy, Juanita Robbins and her children. A former Army sergeant whose last job was a security officer at Kennedy-King College, Selma-born Henry Mayfield did attend Xavier University, an HBCU in New Orleans. He was featured in author-journalist Julia Cass’s Black in Selma, co-authored by his childhood friend, J.L. Chestnut, a famous civil rights attorney who later became Stan’s godfather.
Viewing: Thurs., Oct. 31, 2019, from 12:00-5:00 p.m., Cage Memorial Chapels, 7651 S. Jeffery Blvd., Chicago, IL 60649, 773-721-8900. Visitation: Fri., Nov. 1, 2019, from 10:00-11:00 a.m., Cage Memorial Chapels. Service: Fri., Nov. 1, 2019, 11:00 a.m., Cage Memorial Chapels. A Catholic priest will perform the services with musical accompaniment graciously provided by lyric soprano Jonita Lattimore. Immediately following service: procession and military funeral honors burial at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery, 20953 W. Hoff Rd., Elwood, IL 60421, 815-423-9958.
Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery is the 117th national cemetery within the Dept. of Veterans Affairs National Cemetery Administration. A national cemetery is open to all members (and their spouses and/or certain family members) of the armed forces "who have met a minimum active duty service requirement and were discharged under conditions other than dishonorable." Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery is named after the 16th President of the United States and is located on 982 acres of property in Elwood, IL, approximately 50 miles (80 km) south of Chicago. Dedication was Oct. 1999 on the property of the former Joliet Army Ammunition (Arsenal) Plant and when fully developed will provide 400,000 burial spaces.
The military funeral honors services on behalf of the veteran’s family consist of at least two volunteer uniformed military persons. At least one is a member of the veteran’s branch of service (i.e. the Army) who will provide the folding and presentation of the U.S. flag. Taps (a traditional bugle call played at flag ceremonies and United States Armed Forces military funerals) will be played perhaps with an accompanying 21-gun salute. Henry served in Germany as an army sergeant in the ‘50s. Among the notables buried at the same cemetery is Augustus Alexander "Gus" Savage (1925-2015), an African-American United States Representative.
Immediately following burial: reception at Mamie and Henry’s South Side home where Henry’s favorite buffet meal will be offered: Jamaican jerk chicken, cabbage, rice and peas, macaroni and cheese, catfish nuggets, sweet potato pie, lemon pound cake, ginger beer, and as a nod to the multilingual twins Italian sparkling wine & French cognac.