Daniel Argote was born March 20, 1938 in Harlem New York, son of Juan Bautista Argote and Asuncion Gomez. He grew up in the South Bronx on Jackson Avenue with his three brothers Mario, Sammy and Johnny and two sisters Milagros and Lydia.
He graduated from Benjamin Franklin, a machine and metal trades high school, in Manhattan in 1955 completing a vocational course of study.
He often talked fondly about his time serving as a counselor at Camp Chaperone – in Duchess County, NY, where he ran nature walks with kids.
During his time working as a supply clerk in a box factory…he was drafted to serve in the US Army.
He was stationed at Fort Monroe, Virginia from 1961-1963 and was Army Chaplain’s Assistant. Almost all of the stories he told us about his time in the army involved Chaplain Lt Col. George Birney, who treated him like a son. The others were about learning how to play golf.
In 1965 he joined Lincoln hospital in the South Bronx as a Mental Health counselor and community outreach worker. Among the team of people with whom he worked was a young Jewish hospital administrator from Brooklyn. Her name was Marcia Kroll. They fell in love and, despite their different backgrounds, got married in 1968. Their son, David Miguel, was born in 1971 and two years later their daughter, Aviva Luz was born.
At that time he was also active in the Young Lords Party (a predominantly Puerto Rican political activist group). He led the Young Lords in creating a free breakfast program, lead paint remediation program and in the famed garbage strike on 110th St.
Although he would be quick to say that his “real education” came through his commitment to community and service, he received both his undergraduate and graduate degrees in social work from NYU 1977.
In 1977, he joined the founding faculty of Boricua College where played a lot of roles over 20 years: facilitator, faculty member and professor, as well as Chairman of Human Services Program and a stint as Campus Administrator in Brooklyn.
Starting from his days in the Army, he had planned to go into the ministry. During the 1960s and 70s he took his ministry to the streets. Later, he channeled his gifts into the classrooms at Boricua. In 1991, he brought his ministry back home to the church and became a member of the Christian Missionary Alliance.
He was a talented athlete. He loved, running, paddle-ball, hand-ball, basketball, volleyball, roller skating, touch football, watching sports, and playing sports with his kids. In his later years he took up tennis…and along with that… the pastime of going to the Hungarian Pastry Shop ….where he earned a seat at the staff table.
In addition, he also really enjoyed soaking in the tub; reading; and creatively fixing anything that broke around the house.
He loved music. However, the truth was that he couldn’t carry a tune, but that never stopped him!
He effortlessly built community everywhere he went and had a long list of daily check-in phone calls with family, friends and co-workers.
He enjoyed spending time and telling stories about his three grandchildren: Aya, Johnny and Rafa.
He died on Friday, May 26th 2017 at St Luke’s Hospital -- surrounded by family, friends and community.
Arrangements under the direction of Walter B. Cooke Funeral Home, New York, NY.
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