Students at New York University mourned the death of John Votta on Wednesday, October 17th. Mr.Votta, 70 for many years had appointed himself as NYU’s unofficial traffic cop and was known as the ‘Timekeeper’. Although he was not an official staff member of the university, his daily presence was vital to the community on campus making him a legacy at NYU.
John Votta would stand on the corner of where Washington Place meets Washington Square East, in Greenwhich Village. There he would stand persistently in the spot he called hazardous for distracted students rushing to class, shouting at drivers to slow down and warning students to be careful of incoming vehicle as they walked to class.
He would put in a morning and an afternoon shift every school day. He reputably uses two watches, one on each wrist to tell students how many minutes they had left before the class bell would ring.
Mr. Votta had not been seen leaving his apartment over the weekend and was found dead in his apartment by his friend. Mr.Votta’s death is said to be by natural causes.
The day after his death, near the memorial, there was a wristwatch fastened to an iron fence along with a toy clock with the words, “You will always be our timekeeper.”
According to an interview with The New York Times in 2009, Mr. Votta said he was a lifelong bachelor and lives on an $870 monthly check from Social Security, paying $6o a week for a rent-regulated furnished room on West 12th Street, with a hot plate and a common bathroom in the
hall.
“My attitude towards life is to do what makes people happy,” said Votta in a biographical documentary filmed by NYU students in 2010. Regardless of his scarce means, Votta gave his time unconditionally to the NYU community rain or shine and never asked for anything back.