Marshall Street patrons will no longer hear the familiar phrase, “Hey pretty lady,” as they walk past Starbucks.

Gertis McDowell, who was often seen on Marshall Street interacting with students and community members, died Jan. 7, Syracuse police confirmed Tuesday. McDowell, 67, died of natural causes at his residence at 833 East Brighton Ave, police said. Members of the Syracuse University community reacted to the news on social media and said McDowell was a staple on Marshall Street and will be missed.

“I’ll remember that voice. The ‘Hey pretty lady’ and then he’d have that same little speech, like a sales pitch, it was kind of funny,” said Karen McGee, assistant dean for student affairs at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. “I always saw people talking to him, whether it be doctors, people from Upstate (University Hospital), he had a lot of people who kept an eye on him even though he might not have known that.”

McGee said that although some people didn’t like McDowell’s signature phrase, those that knew him “knew it was just him.” McGee said she doesn’t remember the first time she talked to him, but said that his humor was what stood out about him.

“When you talk to somebody they become a person to you and I always thought he was funny,” McGee said. “I don’t think he meant or tried to be funny, but he was and said really funny things and he reminded you that no matter what you are when you’re looking at somebody, everybody has a story behind them.”

McDowell would often sit outside the Marshall Street Starbucks, making friends, asking for money and interacting with those passing by.

“He was something that was very constant and consistent on this campus. Everyone could walk by him and he would be there,” said Kristina Bugg, a junior international relations major.

McDowell was restricted to a wheelchair because of an incident in which he fell five stories to the ground from a YMCA fire escape. He grew up in Birmingham, Alabama.

Imani Johnson, a senior political science and African American studies dual major, said that McDowell’s story is what fostered her relationship with him.

“I took this class and I found out that he had a really interesting story to his life and I just kind of felt bad so every time I saw him, if I had the money, I would try to help him out,” Johnson said. “He was a pretty cool guy.”

Bugg said that when hearing the news of McDowell’s death, she was sad because he was a figure SU, “that everyone had at least one experience with during their time here.”

She added that she’s disappointed that future students won’t get to know McDowell.

“You would crack a smile every day just by going by him so it’s weird to think that for us it’s a part of our collegiate experience at Syracuse, but future students aren’t going to know what we’re talking about,” she said.

McDowell was an SU staple and someone who will be dearly missed, said McGee, the assistant dean at Newhouse.

“He was kind of a fixture and to me he was familiar,” she said. “He would be there during the busy time and I wouldn’t say you set your clock to him, but you kind of knew it was just an everyday day and it’s going to be sad not seeing him there.”

Jaime Rivera, a Class of 2013 alumnus, said in an email that walking by McDowell was part of his daily routine and his impact was felt throughout campus.

“He was just a peaceful guy, trying to enjoy the simple things in life by being kind to others and hoping to get back something in return,” Rivera said. “No words needed to ever be exchanged between him and anyone to know that he was accepted.”

“We didn’t just lose a friend on Marshall but rather we lost a Syracuse tradition,” Rivera said. “It sounds weird to say that no one will ever take the place of Gertis, primarily because he was a man in a motor scooter asking for money. But he was more than that. He was part of coming to Syracuse.”

– News editor Brett Samuels contributed reporting to this article

Published on January 14, 2015 at 12:01 am

Contact Justin: jmatting@syr.edu | @jmattingly306