Corey Kilgannon/The New York Times Gary dos SantosGary dos Santos, 49, a John Lennon devotee and a fixture in Strawberry Fields in Central Park, died Monday night at Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan from complications from leukemia, said his companion, Lisa Page.
Mr. dos Santos - known as the Mayor of Strawberry Fields to park regulars and countless tourists who visited the “Imagine†mosaic just inside the park’s West 72nd Street entrance - was diagnosed with advanced stage leukemia several weeks ago.
For the last 20 years, he welcomed visitors to the memorial by arranging flowers and praising Lennon â€" “the Brother†â€" who lived across the street in the Dakota apartment building and whose spirit Mr. dos Santos long professed to keep alive at the memorial.
Mr. dos Santos, in a recent interview, vowed to return to the memorial on Dec. 8 to memorialize Lennon’s death, which occurred on that date in 1980. But even if he were to succumb before then, he said, “I’m not worried because I have the Brother watching over me.â€
CityRoom invites readers who have met Mr. dos Santos to offer their memories in the comments below.
