Sylvia Woods, the founder of the famed Harlem soul food restaurant that bears her name, was remembered Tuesday by famous patrons, neighborhood locals, and friends as a warm and welcoming trailblazer who turned her small eatery into a bustling city gem.
"When people came to see me from all over America and the world and wanted to know what Harlem was like, I sent them to Sylvia's, and they were made to feel welcome and at home," former president Bill Clinton said, late in the service that lasted more than two hours.
"She brought the world to Harlem, and she made sure that the world took Harlem back home with them," Michael Bloomberg said during the wake and public service at the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem.
Woods died last week at 86 after dealing with Alzheimer's disease for the past few years.
