On Thursday, November 10,2022 the North Amityville community bid farewell and good night to it longtime community activist and leader, Lenny Canton. Lenny Canton didn’t carry any titles like pastor, bishop, deacon, but he was in every sense of the word a leader of the first magnitude. While professionally known as an accountant, he was better known for his outspoken voice and advocacy of community issues.

In years past Lenny Canton worked with Dr. St. James and was a leading force in the establishment of the NACEC community organization. He was one that could be counted on to stand and speak truth to power on the behalf of those who had little or no voices of their own.

Lenny was born in Manhattan in 1942 and attended public school in Harlem until 1951. Afterwards, the family moved to North Amityville and Lenny completed his high school education at Copiague Senior High School where excelled in football, track and basketball. After high school Lenny went to Morgan State University on a track and field scholarship. Returning to North Amityville after college, Lenny opened his accounting business where he advised a number of small businesses in the area.

Lenny was not the typical “Christian” and had a very pronounced opinion and was not shy about sharing his perspective with anyone who would pause to listen. In his later years he joined the Hollywood Full Gospel Baptist Cathedral and became a confidant and close friend to Bishop Andy C. Lewter.