Mourn Henry Stern, Innovative But Controversial Parks Commissioner

Henry Stern, an eccentric-but-innovative Parks Commissioner for 15 years under Mayors Ed Koch and Rudy Giuliani whose legacy took a hit when a lawsuit accusing him of discriminating against black employees when it came to salaries and promotions wound up being settled by the city for $21 million, died March 28 from complications of Parkinson’s disease. He was 83.

A puckish man who was a precocious student—he graduated from the Bronx High School of Science at 15 and from Harvard Law School at 22—but never grew out of his penchant for saying whatever he thought would get a laugh, Mr. Stern had a combative relationship with the largest Parks Department union, District Council 37, for much of his career at the agency.