Queens lost some great people in 2025 including its longtime voice of letters, a trailblazing judge, a beloved lawmaker, and a hero firefighter from the Rockaways.
Larry Penner, beloved transit advocate, historian and writer, dies at 71
Larry Penner, a mass transit expert, transportation advocate, and historian, died in hospice care in January after a year-long battle against pancreatic cancer. He was 71.
Although he lived much of his life in Great Neck, LI, just a couple of blocks away from the Queens border, he was deeply enmeshed in transit issues in the borough, the rest of New York City, and the tri-state region. In 1981, Penner joined the Reagan Administration as a special assistant to a regional assistant of the Urban Mass Transit Administration, later known as the Federal Transit Agency. Originally a political appointee, Penner remained with the agency for three decades, eventually becoming a civil service employee and highly respected expert on transportation issues.
After he retired, Penner became a prolific writer of op-ed pieces and letters to the editor frequently published in the Queens Chronicle, QNS, and other sister Schneps Media publications such as amNewYork and the Brooklyn Paper.
He wrote about the development, review, approval, and oversight of billions in capital projects and programs at the MTA, NYC Transit bus, New Jersey Transit, and the Long Island Rail Road.
In much of his correspondence, beneath his signature, Penner would write “Your Friendly Neighborhood Retired Federal Transit Man.” In his final letter to Queens Courier, he changed it to: “Long Time Reader and Frequent Letter Writer.”
Obituary: Honorable Justice Dorothy Chin-Brandt, pioneering jurist and advocate for justice, dies at 76
Justice Dorothy Chin-Brandt, the first Asian American woman judge in New York state, passed away in late January at the age of 76.
A revered jurist who made groundbreaking contributions throughout her career, Justice Chin-Brandt leaves behind a lasting legacy of service, integrity, and dedication to justice. Her remarkable career spanned academia, private practice, and the judiciary. She served as Acting Justice of the New York State Supreme Court until her retirement in 2017, becoming a symbol of perseverance and excellence.
Her legal journey began with an undergraduate degree from the University of Chicago in 1967, followed by a law degree from Brooklyn Law School in 1974 and an LL.M. from Harvard Law School in 1975. Justice Chin-Brandt’s dedication to law also led her to academic roles as Assistant Dean of Graduate Legal Studies at Harvard Law School and as a professor at Boston College Law School.
Justice Chin-Brandt was not only a pioneer in the legal field but also a staunch advocate for justice and a fierce supporter of the Asian American community. Often referring to herself as “the daughter of New York,” she devoted much of her life to advocating for the rights and recognition of Asian Americans. Throughout her career, she was honored with numerous accolades, including awards from the Queens District Attorney and the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award from the Organization of Chinese Americans.
Former Queens Assembly Member Margaret Markey dies at 83
Former District 30 Assembly Member Margaret “Marge” Markey died Sept. 24 as a result of complications from Alzheimer’s disease.
In Markey’s 17-year tenure as a public servant, she championed a landmark piece of legislation called the Child Victims Act, founded the Maspeth Town Hall, and advocated for affordable housing and the homeless.
Markey’s interest in public service began in the 1970s when her neighbor was struck and killed by a vehicle outside her home. After organizing the neighbors, Markey successfully petitioned local leaders to install a traffic light on 69th Street.
Markey first proposed the Child Victims Act in 2006 after her adult son, Charles Markey Jr., revealed he had been sexually abused by a priest from the Roman Catholic parish when he was a child. At the time, the statute of limitations for child sex crimes ended after the victim turned 18. The Child Victims Act raised it to 28, to allow children time to “come to grips” with their experiences and press charges against the abusers.
Though Markey left office in 2016 after losing reelection, the bill finally passed three years later and Markey was invited to and honored at the bill-signing ceremony by then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
Hero’s tribute: FDNY remembers fallen Lieutenant Patrick Brady at Queens funeral as a ‘gift’ to the bravest
FDNY Lieutenant Patrick Brady, who died while battling a blaze in Brooklyn in November, received a funeral befitting a hero. Thousands of firefighters joined the Brady family at St. Francis de Sales Church in Belle Harbor, where he lived with his wife Kara, to pay their final respects to Brady, who suffered a fatal cardiac event while working to put out a fire on the roof of a building in Brownsville on Nov. 8.
“The entire FDNY is heartbroken over the loss of Firefighter Patrick Brady. Firefighter Brady was a dedicated public servant, and firefighting was in his blood,” FDNY Commissioner Robert Tucker said. “We are thinking of his family, friends, and fellow members as we join them in mourning this immense loss.”
Brady, who comes from a long line of firefighters in his family, was credited with five pre-hospital saves of patients in his career. His cousin, Firefighter Peter Brady, called Patrick the “apex” of his family.
“Older and younger, we all seemed to ride his coattails. He had the unique ability to be the most popular, coolest guy with absolutely none of the ego,” Peter Brady said. “His popularity came from his pure thoughtfulness.”
