Percy “Happy” Watkins, one of the founders of Spokane’s annual march honoring the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and a longtime voice in the civil rights struggle in Spokane, died Friday. He was 82 years old.

For decades, Spokane’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. He was known for making King heard while reciting King’s “I Have a Dream” speech at the Day parade. The annual reading tradition began as early as 1971; Just three years after King was assassinated.

“We are saddened to learn of the passing of Rev. Happy Watkins. Born in the Bronx, but a Spokanite at heart and soul since 1961, he served our community with a heart of gold and reads Dr. King’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech that runs like clockwork every year.” It helped us remember the words of and at events throughout the year,” Spokane City Council President Betsy Wilkerson wrote on Facebook.

Watkins was the longtime pastor of New Hope Baptist Church, leading the church from 1990 until his retirement in 2018. close friend Ivan BushAnother prominent civil rights leader in Spokane had been organizing the annual King march in Spokane for decades.

Born in the Bronx, Watkins came to Spokane in 1961 as an airman stationed at Fairchild Air Force Base. Watkins expressed surprise at relatively rural and white Spokane in a 2018 profile.

“I was 19 and a half years old and started crying… (I was told) about bears and harsh winters. I was destroyed,” he recalled at the time.

Still, Watkins found community in the church and soon called Spokane home.

During his more than 60 years in the city, Watkins worked as an insurance salesman, opened a barbecue restaurant, ran for city council, ran the local NAACP, married his wife Etta and raised four sons.

Spokane Superior Court Judge Breean Beggs said Watkins always had words of encouragement for him. Beggs is the former director of the Spokane Justice Center, which focuses on civil rights issues.

“To me, Happiness was the symbol of belonging in Spokane County. “He exemplified this more than anyone I know,” said Beggs, a former Spokane City Council president. “He made Spokane a better place.”

Steve Corker, who served eight years on the Spokane City Council from 2008 to 2011, said Watkins was like a “surrogate father” to him.

“I’m going to miss him,” Corker said. “He was a kind and good person and we need more of them. “He was willing to talk and bring people together, and we need more of that.”

Corker and Watkins were active in Democratic politics in the 1970s, Corker said.

He said Watkins mentored Corker when he was in his 30s and relatively new to Spokane and politics.

“He was one of the kindest people I have ever met in the city of Spokane,” Corker said.

Watkins helped him understand minority issues early in his political career, and both were involved in the campaign of James Chase, who was elected as Spokane’s first Black mayor in 1981.

Like many people, Corker fondly remembered Watkins reading Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech.

“I remember my thinking and my commitment being reborn every time he gave that speech,” Corker said.

Former Spokane Mayor David Condon, who served two terms in the 2010s, said Watkins repeatedly came into his office to discuss police and community relations, community centers and issues related to the Black community.

Condon first floated past the University District with Watkins on Martin Luther King Jr., which Watkins defended. He believed he met at Way’s inauguration.

“He is a giant in our community whose legacy will be passed on to future generations,” Condon said.

Watkins was a longtime leader of Spokane’s NAACP. Former chapter president Kurtis Robinson said Watkins kept the organization together as president when membership numbers dwindled.

“He was there to keep the NAACP alive. We need to do the same. His call to us is to pick up the baton. “His legacy is for us to take this even further,” he said.

Robinson said he only saw Watkins two weeks ago and he is still the man who can move a crowd to tears with MLK Jr.’s lyrics.

“I know Happy has a dream for us too,” he said.

Todd Eklof, Spokane Unitarian pastor and friend of Watkins, said Watkins was an “icon” who “acted as a role model for all who knew him.” Before the referendum on marriage equality in 2012, Watkins spoke publicly in her support for same-sex marriage. Eklof said the move surprised some, but it was just one example of his bravery.

“Happy expressed his traditional faith in a non-traditional way,” he said of the Baptist preacher. “He was happy. And it made everyone else happy, too.”

Jonathan Brunt contributed to this report.