Friends and colleagues are mourning the passing of former borough president Helen Marshall.

Marshall died Saturday in California. Born in the bronx - she served as Queens Borough president three terms — beginning in 2002. Marshall was a long time public servant — and also served five terms in the state assembly and was on city council for almost a decade.

"She reached down and picked folks up along the way. As she was succeeding in life she made sure others succeeded with her," said Queens Borough President Melinda Katz. 

"She was a nice human being. She had a big heart. She was interested in children," said Former Queens' Borough President Claire Shulman.

"I'm sure other people indicate she had a heart of gold she was a very very compasionate person that was her strength," said Marshall's former Press Secretary Dan Andrews.

Mayor DeBlasio also released a statement saying:

"Helen Marshall was as bighearted, dynamic and brave as the borough of Queens, which she represented with such determined grace for three decades in many roles, including as its first African American Borough President"

Marshall was 87 years old.