By: Sharon Aron Baron
Democratic activist and Tamarac resident Ilene Singer died on Tuesday night after a visit with an elected official.
Singer had come to visit Coral Springs Mayor Skip Campbell at city hall on Tuesday about campaign finance reform. When she arrived, she told him she had fallen earlier. He wasn’t sure where or when it was, but said she didn’t look well. He called 911, and when they arrived, her blood pressure was low and they discovered she was bleeding internally.
“Last night we had an unfortunate medical event when a constituent came to visit me and unfortunately she died,” said Mayor Skip Campbell to the city commission on Wednesday. “I’d like to take a moment of silence to remember her. Her name was Ilene Singer.”
“I am shocked and saddened to hear of the sudden death of Ilene Singer,” said Cynthia Busch chairwoman of the Broward Democratic Party. “I have known her for almost ten years. She was a committed Democrat and volunteered on countless campaigns. She was especially committed to fighting for progressive causes. We will miss her.”
Singer, 73, had lived in Weldon in Kings Point since 1999. A graduate from Oak Park High School in Michigan, she received her B.A. in Business Administration. from Oakland University. Politically active for years, Singer was the South Florida chair of Move to Amend which is the effort to reverse the Supreme Court’s decision on Citizens United. She was also a precinct captain and an area leader for Tamarac and North Lauderdale for the Broward Democratic Party.
According to Busch, Singer was a Progressive Democrat who was a supporter of Bernie Sanders, even running to be a delegate for him this summer. She was also involved with the Coffee Party, which was a group of people opposed to the Tea Party, and Awake the State, which is currently pressuring Governor Rick Scott to expand access to health care by accepting funds under the Affordable Care Act.
“Ilene was a very very dedicated activist and she worked like heck to make something happen with Move to Amend,” said Patti Lynn. “Before other groups were working on it, she was one of the first people who recognized the danger, and got involved with trying to amend the constitution so that people were defined as human beings, thereby negating the decision of the Supreme Court.”
Currently, relatives of Singer’s are trying to be located. It is not known if she has any relatives in Florida.
“She was a wonderful woman doing a wonderful job and she will be sorely missed,” said Kings Point President Len Ronick.
