A late Bay Ridge legend will be immortalized in his hometown, as local leaders have co-named a street after Justice Arthur M. Schack — a man who served his community for decades, and who taught a whole generation of leaders about giving back to the neighborhood.
“Justice Schack exemplified how giving back to the community through volunteer service could truly make a difference,” said Josephine Beckmann, district manager of Community Board 10. “That volunteer service, we speak about it lightly, but he dedicated so many of his personal hours to the community and I will forever be grateful for his advice.”
Justice Shack died in May of 2016 at the age of 70 while serving on the New York State Supreme Court, which was just one of the many positions he held in his community — including heading CB 10 for three years; serving the board for 15 more years; teaching at Bay Ridge High School; and chairing the local chapter of the United Federation of Teachers.
A group of community leaders and the judge’s family lovingly bestowed the corner of Ridge Boulevard and 89th Street — the intersection closest to the late Schack’s family home — as “Justice Arthur M. Schack Way” on Saturday.
Many civics in the community remembered Schack as a dedicated servant who assisted the community in any way he possibly could — whether it be lending his expertise on the rules of order in a community board meeting, or simply aiding a neighbor in need.
“I was always impressed by his keen ability to have so much knowledge of city government,” Beckmann said. “He was always there to lend a helping hand whether it was a food pantry drive or driving [his wife] Dilia and I to different schools and organizations when Dilia was a board member. Arthur was a regular at our meetings and was always, always available to lend a helping hand.”
The renaming ceremony opened with the reading of “When Great Trees Fall,” a poem by Maya Angelou, which the late arbiter of justice was said to exemplify.
