By Stephen Stirling
Oats' name became synonymous with Flushing Meadows Corona Park as early as the 1960s, after master builder Robert Moses told the then-young man he should form a group that would seek to protect the park. In the subsequent years, Oats was part of several groups whose central focus was the park and founded the Flushing Meadows Corona Park World's Fair Association, which he was chairman of until the time of his death.
“For me he was a great mentor and a role model,” said friend and Flushing Meadows Corona Park World's Fair Association President Greg Godfrey. “He always did the right thing.”
Oats also served as an editor at the Queens Tribune in three different decades, but his civic activism trumped all else.
“He was civic-minded all the way,” Godfrey said.
Oats' worked on several projects that have become iconic in both the park's and Queens' history in his life, including the 1964 World's Fair, the introduction of the U.S. Open to Queens, the construction and expansion of the Queens Museum of Art, the 2012 Olympics campaign and, more recently, bringing the Flushing Remonstrance back to the borough for the 350th anniversary of its signing.
“He saw the larger picture, that Queens is a melting pot, a tossed salad or however you want to say it. David was attracted by that, he thought it was the right thing, the right idea,” Godfrey said. “He had a very global perspective.”
He is survived by his wife Corinne and his sister Virginia Ernst. Funeral services will be private and no public memorial ceremony had been planned as of Wednesday.
Reach reporter Stephen Stirling by e-mail at Sstirling@timesledger.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 138.
