Eli Saleeby's face flashed across the screen during the annual dinner of the Human Rights Campaign, held Saturday at the Hyatt Regency.
The dinner raises money to support the mission of HRC, a civil rights organization that advocates on behalf of lesbians, gays, bisexual and transgendered citizens. It tries to secure equal rights at the local, state and federal levels.
Mr. Saleeby deemed its causes dear. Other activists say he was the first person from Atlanta to serve on the national board of directors for the Human Rights Campaign, based in Washington, D.C. He also sat on its board of governors.
The North Carolina native dedicated his life to organizations and events that promoted and advocated equal rights, "but it was not just for gays and lesbians," said Clara L.Fryer, a friend of Mr. Saleeby's since the late 1980s.
"I would say Eli was about fairness for the underdog," she continued. "He cared for the underdog and worked for folks who aren't as blessed as he was."
On April 23, Jerome Elias "Eli" Saleebydied at Grady Hospital from complications of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. He was 50. A memorial service will be held at 6 p.m. May 11 at 701 Sherwood Rd., a private residence in Atlanta.
After high school, Mr. Saleeby attended East Carolina University, where he befriended Jim Bierma, also a Carolina native. They moved to Atlanta in the late 1970s to attend college. Mr. Saleeby earned a bachelor's degree in accounting from Georgia State University in 1982.
After working in banking, he became a real estate agent for RE/MAX Greater Atlanta and, later, specialized in high-end sales. Also, he and business partners would buy properties, then remodel and sell them.
In the 1980s, the AIDS epidemic and HIV-related issues spread fear and death in the city. Mr. Saleeby and Mr. Bierma saw friends get sick and die. They got involved.
"Eli ended up taking a two-pronged approach," Mr. Bierma said. "He'd try to affect change on a political level and try to get grassroots funding. He was always consistent and always talked about having dialogue. He wanted to communicate, to talk, and make sure the agenda occurred."
Mr. Saleeby was a founding member of Georgia Equality. He was a board member for the Elton John AIDS Foundation from 1992 to 2005. John Scott of Cameron, N.C., served as the foundation's executive director during the movie buff's tenure.
"Not only did he help guide the governance of the organization, but he reminded all of us of the importance to leave a message of hope," Mr. Scott said. "He was a staunch believer in encouraging hope and awareness."
Years ago, Mr. Saleeby had served as co-chair of the committee that plans the annual dinner for the local chapter of the Human Rights Campaign. At Saturday's dinner, a moment of silence was held to honor the crusader.
"Several folks got tears in their eyes because they did not know," said Mr. Bierma, his friend. "He was healthy not too long ago."
Additional survivors include his father, Elias Saleeby of Raleigh, N.C.; and a brother, James Menefee of Richmond, Va.
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