Editing Harold Washington (section)

==Death and funeral==
[[File:Grave of Harold Lee Washington (1922–1987) at Oak Woods Cemetery, Chicago 1.jpg|thumb|right|Washington mausoleum at Oak Woods Cemetery]]

On November 25, 1987, at 11:00&nbsp;am, [[Chicago Fire Department]] paramedics were called to City Hall. Washington's press secretary, Alton Miller, had been discussing school board issues with the mayor when Washington suddenly slumped over on his desk, falling unconscious. After failing to revive Washington in his office, paramedics rushed him to [[Northwestern Memorial Hospital]]. Further attempts to revive him failed, and Washington was pronounced dead at 1:36&nbsp;p.m.<ref name="davis_19871126">{{cite news |url=http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:NewsBank:CTRB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=0FF68F31FB93F51A&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated5&req_dat=AA98CDC331574F0ABEAFF732B33DC0B2 |title=Mayor's death stuns city – black leader, 65, on verge of a dream |author=Davis, Robert |date=November 26, 1987 |access-date=January 26, 2008}}</ref>

At Daley Plaza, Patrick Keen, project director for the Westside [[Habitat for Humanity]], announced Washington's official time of death to a separate gathering of Chicagoans. Initial reactions to the pronouncement of his death were of shock and sadness, as many black people believed that Washington was the only top Chicago official who would address their concerns.<ref name="brotman_19871126">{{cite news |url=http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:NewsBank:CTRB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=0FF68F2E803A817B&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated5&req_dat=AA98CDC331574F0ABEAFF732B33DC0B2 |title=Chicagoans mourn the loss of their leader |date=November 26, 1987 |access-date=January 26, 2008 |author=Brotman, Barbara |newspaper=Chicago Tribune}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=WBEZ Radio News; 1987{{snd}}excerpts, Mourning a Mayor and Moving On|url=http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-526-2804x55m3z|access-date=2021-03-11|website=American Archive of Public Broadcasting|language=en}}</ref> Following his death, President [[Ronald Reagan]] issued a statement calling Washington a "dedicated and outspoken leader who guided one of our nation's largest cities through the 1980's".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reaganlibrary.gov/archives/speech/statement-death-harold-washington|title=Statement on the Death of Harold Washington|publisher=Reagan Library.org|accessdate=March 1, 2024}}</ref>

Thousands of Chicagoans attended his [[Wake (ceremony)|wake]] in the lobby of [[Chicago City Hall|City Hall]] between November 27 and 29, 1987.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://galleries.apps.chicagotribune.com/chi-121116-chicago-mayor-harold-washington-pictures/|title=Photos: Chicago Mayor Harold Washington – Chicago Tribune|website=galleries.apps.chicagotribune.com|access-date=May 26, 2018}}</ref> On November 30, 1987, Reverend B. Herbert Martin officiated Washington's funeral service in Christ Universal Temple at 119th Street and Ashland Avenue in Chicago. After the service, Washington was buried in [[Oak Woods Cemetery]] on the South Side of Chicago.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/1987/12/01/chicago-weeps-as-mayor-washington-laid-to-rest/|title=Chicago Weeps As Mayor Washington Laid To Rest|date=December 1987 |access-date=May 26, 2018|archive-date=December 3, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171203224444/http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1987-12-01/news/0160310247_1_harold-washington-mayor-chicago|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/12/01/us/foes-unite-in-tribute-at-chicago-mayor-s-funeral.html|title=Foes Unite in Tribute at Chicago Mayor's Funeral|first=Dirk Johnson and Special To the New York|last=Times|newspaper=The New York Times |date=December 1987 |access-date=May 26, 2018}}</ref>

===Rumors===
Immediately after Washington's death, rumors about how Washington died began to surface. On January 6, 1988, Dr. Antonio Senat, Washington's personal physician, denied "unfounded speculations" that Washington had [[cocaine]] in his system at the time of his death, or that foul play was involved. [[Cook County]] [[Medical Examiner]] Robert J. Stein performed an [[autopsy]] on Washington and concluded that Washington had died of a heart attack. Washington had weighed {{convert|284|lb|kg|0}}, and suffered from [[hypertension]], [[Hypercholesterolemia|high cholesterol]] levels, and an [[Cardiomegaly|enlarged heart]].<ref name="williams_19880107">{{cite news |url=http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:NewsBank:CSTB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=0EB36DABC60075D3&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated5&req_dat=AA98CDC331574F0ABEAFF732B33DC0B2 |title=Washington's doctor debunks foul play talk |newspaper=Chicago Sun-Times |author=Williams, Lillian |date=January 7, 1988 |access-date=January 29, 2008}}</ref> His diet was "heavy in fat and sodium", wrote [[Gary Rivlin]].{{sfn|Rivlin|1992|p=408}} On June 20, 1988, Alton Miller again indicated that drug reports on Washington had come back negative, and that Washington had not been poisoned prior to his death. Dr. Stein stated that the only drug in Washington's system had been [[lidocaine]], which is used to stabilize the heart after a heart attack takes place. The drug was given to Washington either by paramedics or by doctors at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.<ref name="tribune_19880621">{{cite news |url=http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:NewsBank:CTRB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=0FF7DFEFB29D7E80&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated5&req_dat=AA98CDC331574F0ABEAFF732B33DC0B2 |title=No drug link to ex-mayor's death |author=Unknown |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |date=June 21, 1988 |access-date=January 29, 2008}}</ref> [[Bernard Epton]], Washington's opponent in the 1983 general election, died 18 days later, on December 13, 1987.