Ken Brady, one of Sachem’s original graduates from the class of 1960 and the man who documented the centralization of the school district, passed away at 80 on October 24. on October 24.
Brady became one of the district’s first alumni hired as an educator. He spent 33 years in Sachem as a history teacher and social studies chairperson. He taught advanced placement American history, was the district’s first historian, and was the first editor-in-chief of Sachem’s yearbook.
His defining work in our community was documenting Sachem’s formation in a two-volume series titled “The History of the Consolidation and Centralization of the Sachem Schools.” Part one focused on a wide range from 1800 to 1947, analyzing the educational, societal, and political landscape that helped the leaders of several local school districts centralize into what we call Sachem today. Part two covers a smaller but more crucial time period from 1948 to the final vote and centralization in 1955.
A Port Jefferson resident for many years, his research and writing have been prolific as the longtime Port Jefferson Village historian. He produced over 50 local history exhibits at the Port Jeff Village Center and voluntarily administered the Port Jeff Digital Archive, where he scanned over 17,500 images. He was profiled in a feature story by AOL’s Patch.com about his archival process in 2011. Brady was a frequent guest on regional and local radio and television, where he was known to speak about Port Jeff’s maritime history. He wrote a book in 1999 about notable Port Jeff photographer Arthur S. Greene.
Brady was actively writing and reporting about local history until his death. A quick search on TBR News Media found 40 stories about Port Jeff’s history as recently as August 2023.
The Port Jeff Village posted a tribute about him on its website and wrote, “his legacy is the preservation of our history and the means to do it for generations to come.”
His other positions of advocacy in the community include Board of Director, Suffolk County Historical Society, Trustee of the Port Jefferson Historical Society, President of the Port Jefferson Harbor Conservancy, Chairman of the Suffolk County Board of Public Disclosure, Commissioner of the Suffolk County Tercentenary Commission, Board of Directors of the Greater Port Jefferson Arts Council and Board of Directors of the Long Island North Shore Heritage Area
Brady was named Man of the Year in Civics in 2007 by the Port Times Record, was recognized with the Volunteer Extraordinaire Award in 2007 by Port Jefferson Village, and earned the Person of the Year Award in 2013 from the Port Times Record.
His graveside service and interment will be held on Friday, October 27, 2023, at 11 a.m. at Cedar Hill Cemetery on Liberty Street in Port Jefferson.
