Ronald James Briggs

Ronald James Briggs was born March 17, 1940 in the Bronx, New York. He was the oldest of four children born to the late Grace Marie and Charles Julian Briggs. The family lived in the Bronx until the late 1950s. They then moved to 110th Street in Corona, Queens, where many of the family's life long friendships were made.

Ronald was always an independent thinker and a dreamer. His life took him down many unusual paths. Following his graduation from high school in 1958, he joined the Air Force and achieved the rank of Senior Airman (A1C-E-4).  Upon his honorable discharge, he attended Long Island University, promptly joining the Young Republicans Club. He worked at Wesleyan University briefly in the 1970s before traveling to Jamaica to follow the Rastafarian way of life as “Raheem.”  Upon return to the United States in the 1980s, he pursued careers in banking and real estate while becoming active in community service in Harlem and the Bronx.

Ronald is predeceased by his equally unforgettable siblings, Reginald, Charles and Helyne Minor. He departed this world on March 29, 2020 at Mt. Sinai Hospital, Queens, just 12 days after his 80th birthday.  

He is survived by his nieces and their spouses, Helyne and Peter Klauck, Kisha and Mace Braven, Sydney and Reinhard Bek; two nephews, Reginald Castro, and Charles J. Briggs III; one brother-in-law, James Minor; a sister-in-law Jennifer Briggs; a gang of grand nieces and nephews, Jackie, Briana, Jordan, Aaron, Ryan, Dylan and Rebekka, as well as a host of family and friends.

Rest in Power.

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