via West End Preservation Society (WEPS)
Batya Lewton, a lifelong advocate and cherished member of the Upper West Side community, passed away peacefully in her sleep on Saturday, August 3, 2024. According to those closest to Lewton–and to a tribute shared on Facebook by the West End Preservation Society (WEPS)–she was a tireless champion for her students, family, friends, neighbors, and the broader community.
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Born and raised on the Upper West Side, Batya’s roots in the neighborhood were deep, her parents the owners of a local small business. Batya’s knowledge of the UWS was “encyclopedic.” She moved to West 86th Street in the 1960s, where she continued to live and contribute to the community she loved.
Batya was a dedicated educator and lifelong learner. She earned a Bachelor of Arts from Brooklyn College and a Master of Library Science from Queens College. Throughout her career, Batya worked as a teacher, school librarian at PS 197 in Harlem, Coordinator of Instructional Technologies, and a full-time activist.
Batya served as Vice President of the Coalition for a Livable West Side, working closely with Madeleine Polayes, a close friend who served as President. In 2011, Batya assumed the role of President after Madeleine stepped down. She was known for her unwavering dedication, regularly producing, printing and distributing the Coalition’s newsletter with the help of volunteers.
Batya’s presence was felt at countless Community Board 7 meetings, where she was easily recognized by the symbolic buttons she adorned on her hat or vest. Even as attending public hearings became more difficult, Batya remained actively involved, often asking others to represent her and the Coalition’s interests. Her commitment to affordable housing, public parks, and the preservation of light and air for residents of the Upper West Side was admirable.
According to Josette Amato, a WEPS staffer who seems to have penned the Facebook tribute, Lewton’s funeral–held on August 7 at Plaza Jewish Community Chapel–was marked by heartfelt memories from community members who were impacted by Batya. Her legacy as an advocate for literacy and a love of books was evident in the stories shared by her former students from her 30-plus years in the New York City public school system.
In lieu of flowers, Batya requested that donations be made to charities close to her heart including The David & Dovetta Wilson Scholarship Fund and Gift Children Books.
