Cherrivance (Turk) Bordies SUNRISE January 25, 1936 - SUNSET
Reflections of Life
Cherrivance (Turk) Bordies was born January 25, 1936 in Thomasville, North Carolina.His parents, the late William and Wynona Bordies bore 4 sons and 3 daughters, which Cherrivance was the youngest son. Turk as his friends called him grew up in Bay Shore and attended Bay Shore schools. In the early years he worked as a paper boy, in W.T. Grants Dept. store, Jake Ballins neighborhood store and Harry Brombergs neighborhood store.
Turk and his brothers and sisters and many of his first cousins grew up in the house where now sits the Bay Shore High School parking lot. Turk had the opportunity to play for the Bay ShoreHigh School Baseball and Football teams. He can be found in the treasured High School Sports Hall of Fame. He also was a member of the Bay Shore Bombers.
Cherrivance attended Wagner College in Staten Island, A&T University, North Carolina and finished at Columbia University, NY. Turk worked at Pilgrim State Hospital after being honorably discharged from the Army. He was employed as one of the first blacks to work at the newly formed Suffolk County Department of Labor. He worked as a Neighborhood Youth Corp. Coordinator assigned to find jobs for the minority youth in Suffolk County. And that he did, from Amityville to Southold he gave young people their first work experience. Many young people from FBC and neighboring churches and schools went to work. So much so that they would go to the Labor Department wanting to speak to their Uncle Turk. His co-worker would say that you have more nieces and nephews than anyone we know. He worked as a Minority Officer and retired from the Suffolk County Department of Labor in 2004.
Turk accepted Christ at an early age and attended along with his family at the Gospel Lighthouse Pentecostal Church in Bay Shore, NY, where his cousin, Bishop Paul Powell is the Pastor.
Sixty years ago, he became a member of the First Baptist Church of Bay Shore on his Christian Experience. He started playing for the Junior Choir, Young Adult Choir and later the Senior Choir, Men's Chorus and the A. L. Brown Ensemble. Turk played the piano and organ as musician of the church along with Elder Wille Pearl Manning and later with Bishop Rodney Camps. He also sang and played for the Bay Shore Choraliers along with Deacon Donald and Jimmy Jackson.
He mentored and ministered to many young people who later became Bishops, Pastor, Ministers, Musicians, and Teachers, all around good people. He was grateful for the gift that God has given him and remained faithful to play to the glory and honor of God. "If I can help somebody as I travel along then my living shall not be in vain."
Cherrivance leaves to cherish his memory: his beloved wife of 56 years, Minita, 1 sister, Harriet Bordies, (1) first Cousin of the Powell Family Bishop Paul Powell (Barbara) and (1) first Cousin Ruth Steal of the Holley family, Three (3) daughters: Deirdre Louise, Chery Ann of Syracuse, NY and Nicole of Bay Shore, Eight (8) grandchildren Syracuse, NY: Three (3) grandchildren from Bay Shore, NY: Fourteen (14) great grandchildren and host of nieces, nephews and cousins, friends, and THe First Baptist Church Family.