Uncrowned Community Builders

Ira Lee Tatum was a businesswoman who reached out and used her resources to help others in her community. She was born in Montgomery, Alabama and came to Buffalo with her family at the age of 14.

She attended local schools and studied business administration at Rochester Institute of Technology. She was active in church programs. She raised foster children and was founder and president of the Austin House of Human Services which helped parolees.

She was also the administrator of the Ira Austin Scholarship Fund. She was employed at the Buffalo Psychiatric Center for 36 years and was the owner operator of the Archangels Funeral Home on East Delavan Avenue.

She was a member of the Buffalo Chapter NAACP; Buffalo Chamber of Commerce and the Police Athletic League. She was the honoree of many awards for her service to her community.

Ms. Tatum was 67 years of age at the time of her death on September 25, 1998. She is buried at Forest Lawn Cemetery.