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Those that knew him best and worked alongside him say Dennis deLeon was part of the fabric of the city. A decades long fighter for civil rights, he was Human Rights Commissioner for three years under Mayor David Dinkins when in 1993 he announced in a New York Times Op-Ed piece that he was infected with the AIDS virus -- an illness he told NY1's Cheryl Wills in 2006 that he thought would eventually kill him.

"I focused my whole family on me dying, my family classified me as about to die, my domestic partner saw me about to die," deLeon said.

DeLeon lived for more than 20 years after his diagnosis, taking up his own struggle as one of millions, founding the Latino Commission on AIDS in 1990.

Outspoken and strong in his convictions, friends and colleagues say he never gave up hope for himself or those he was fighting for.

"We want to celebrate the legacy of his life," said Oscar Lopez of the Latino Commission on AIDS. "Anybody who's been involved in HIV or public health which I have been for 20 years has heard of Dennis deLeon. He was the champion you wanted on your side when you knew you had a battle to fight. And he was the advocate that you wanted on your side to make phone calls for you or write a letter when you needed that extra push from the government."

"Dennis was an icon not just locally but nationally. A leader in the fight against HIV and AIDS and a personal friend. Dennis will be missed," said Gay Men's Health Crisis CEO Dr. Majorie J. Hill. "There's no doubt in my mind that without Dennis deLeon without his leadership and his vision, HIV and AIDS services would not be what they are in the city nor in our nation."

Already having suffered heart complications due to years of HIV medication, friends say lately he'd grown even weaker after a bout with pneumonia -- eventually succumbing to heart failure. They say if there's one message he wanted everyone to hear, it was to get tested for HIV, to know one's status and to make smart choices for the future.

Funeral and memorial services will be posted later this week on the Latino AIDS Commission website at LatinoAIDS.org.