Ballfield plaque at Hon. Harry Richard Brown Memorial Park in East Northport tells late judge's story

The late New York State Supreme Court Justice Harry Richard Brown, known as a pillar of the East Northport community and a loving father of six, now has a plaque bearing his name and lifetime achievements on the East Northport ballfield where he taught many children to play baseball.

At the plaque unveiling Sunday, State Assemb. Keith P. Brown (R-Northport) remembered his father, Harry Brown, as a man with boundless energy who was committed to his community and his family.

“Growing up, we were fine with sharing our dad with everyone because he was operating on a higher level,” said Keith Brown, 54. “He always, always made time for me and my siblings, whether it was to help with homework, coach us in Little League or soccer.”

Friends, family and local dignitaries gathered Sunday in East Northport for the ceremony at Hon. Harry Richard Brown Memorial Park on what would have been the 100th birthday of the longtime state Supreme Court judge and Larkfield Little League manager who died at age 70 in May 1993.

Harry Brown had served his community as a member of the East Northport Fire Department, the Knights of Columbus the Ancient Order of Hibernians and other local organizations. He also was an adjunct professor for business law at Suffolk County Community College.

Stephen Brown, 64, of East Northport, another of Harry's children and an attorney, said it was “really personal” for him that his father have a monument at the field where he loved to help teach children the game of baseball.

“He loved to teach kids skills, but most importantly, sportsmanship,” Stephen Brown said. “He wasn’t the kind of person who wanted a memorial. He did not do the things that he did or join the organizations he was a part of for the accolades. No, my father … loved helping others.”

Robert Bibow, 65, of East Northport, a family friend who grew up as a neighbor to the Browns, wrote a letter to Huntington Town last year asking to have the baseball field renamed for Harry Brown. The Huntington Town Board approved the request in March 2022, and accepted the Brown family's donation for the memorial.

Bibow said the patriarch of the Brown family left a large legacy in the hamlet. 

“I always called him the unofficial mayor of East Northport, because whenever there was a problem, you went to him,” Bibow said. “And either he would get an answer, or he resolved it. He was the guy who was able to get things done. He was a doer, and you could go to him for anything.”