MARGATE/FL – Cricket Council USA (CCUSA) will honour fallen Broward politician Josephus Eggelletion, for his contribution to the sport of cricket in Florida.
The man who became the county’s first African-American mayor died Wednesday at the age of 69. Eggelletion, a graduate of Dillard High School in Fort Lauderdale and Florida A&M University, was one of Broward’s longest-serving black elected officials. He served on the county commission, on the Lauderdale Lakes City Commission and in the state Legislature.
CCUSA president Mahammad Qureshi remembers that Eggelletion was principle in getting the wonderful Central Broward Regional Park up and running. “Eggelletion, together with myself were the front runners in seeking to have a world class cricket facility built in Lauderhill. He was really into the development of the sport and did all that he could have done as Mayor to have the project come to fruition. We are now seeing world class cricket coming to Lauderhill because of the contribution made by this gentleman.”
Eggelletion was also a founding member of the US Open T20 tournament and did a lot of work with Qureshi and Amin Markatia in the infancy of what has become the top T20 tournament in North America.
“At this point in time we will like to let the family know that all members and staff at CCUSA share in their grief and we wish them God’s choicest blessings in moving forward. We intend to honour him at the 2018 US Open T20 tournament, by naming the winner’s trophy after him. We will also be inviting his family to attend the tournament as we continue to celebrate the life of Eggelletion.”
Eggelletion born April 23, 1949, was a native of Miami who moved with his family to Fort Lauderdale in 1955. He said in 1990 that his family was so poor he had to wear his father’s shoes to school.
He said he and his brother and five sisters slept in one room in a small house in Fort Lauderdale. Food was often scarce, he said.
Eggelletion was selected in 1990 to fill a vacancy on the Lauderdale Lakes City Council caused by the death of Sol Rossman. At the time, he was a teacher of government and economics at Dillard High School and owned the Avenue East Barbering and Hairstyling shop in Fort Lauderdale.
