Community Renames Bay Ridge Intersection

"Richard Sherry Way" After Retire Firefighter

Brooklyn Eagle 4/30/09

Councilman Vincent Gentile hosted a street renaming ceremony at 83rd Street and Shore Road Saturday. The intersection was renamed “Richard Sherry Way” after Richard Sherry, a retired FDNY firefighter of 30 years and leader of the 68th Precinct Youth Council for 15 years.

Councilman Gentile sponsored the legislation that renamed the street in Richard Sherry’s honor. Below are his remarks delivered at the Saturday event:

“I want to thank everyone for joining us today to honor a man who made our community a richer, better one to live in. That man was Richard Sherry, and I’m honored to have sponsored legislation that will rename 83rd Street and Shore Road “Richard Sherry Way” in permanent tribute to his life and his legacy.

“Richard Sherry was a true son of Bay Ridge — and like all good sons, grew into a man who devoted much of his time to not only nurturing his four children but nurturing the community that raised and educated him. He was born February 5, 1940 and as a boy attended Our Lady of Angels School. He later went on to attend Brooklyn Tech, and served as an FDNY firefighter for more than three decades as a member of Engine 224 in Brooklyn Heights.

“To those who knew Richard, his choice to dedicate 30 years of his life to a profession that focuses on protecting the public was no surprise. It was the result of the admirable qualities that he was born with, and a desire to leave the world better, safer and fuller than how he found it. He also served as an FDNY union delegate in those years, stepping up to the plate to ensure that his fellow firefighters were always treated fairly and with the respect they deserved.

“Richard devoted nearly two decades of his life to the youngsters in Bay Ridge. I believe that he wanted to be a part of creating a world for them that was satisfying, exciting and full of possibility. As an active member and leader of the 68th Precinct Youth Council, Richard acted as a coach, indoor soccer commissioner, baseball director and treasurer at various times, spending countless hours, days and weeks making sure, among other things, that the baseball league kept going. Today, thanks largely in part to Richard, we have the largest precinct baseball league in the area. Richard clearly believed in giving back to his community, but did so in the most natural and humble way. His humility is one of his many traits that we admired about him.

“We also admired, and will continue to admire, his goodwill, his cheerfulness, and his generosity. I admire his belief in the importance of education — I’m told he was strict when it came to the education of his four children, and insisted that they make school a priority. The sign that we’re about to unveil should serve not only as a reminder of Richard’s legacy in the borough, throughout the city and right here in Bay Ridge, but a reminder of his spirit, his kindness, his hard work. I’d like to think that every time we look at that sign as we drive up or down Shore Road, we’ll be reminded to be a little bit more like Richard — to feel responsible for making our world a better place than how it was when we entered it.

“Now this isn’t to say that Richard didn’t love to have a good time — from the time he was a boy, he loved collecting stamps and always appreciated horses. He and his FDNY brothers used to go to the Aqueduct and Belmont racetracks and even the Monmouth racetrack in New Jersey. He loved the Mets, and he loved the Giants. Knowing his personality, I imagine he appreciated racing horses’ and athletes’ commitment to excellence. Richard was the sort of person who committed himself to excellence for the sake of his community and family — each and every one of us here today. “Richard, we’ll miss you, and we’re lucky to have had you for the time we did. Thank you for everything, and thank you to his children Maureen, Annmarie, Jennifer and Richie for sharing him with us. We all wish you were still here, Richard, and in our hearts we know you still are. So when you kids get a hit on the ball field or run down a fly ball, know that you have Richard Sherry in large part to thank. And when you pass this sign on the way onto or off of the field, say a silent ‘Thank You’ to Richard. Thank you all for coming, and God Bless Richard Sherry.”