Craig Hammerman, District Manager of Community Board 6, sent me a sad note about the passing of Robert Makla, a familiar face at Community Board 6 meetings.

Always dressed to the nines, with his signature bowtie and suspenders, Robert Makla was a familiar attendee, avid supporter and eager participant at Brooklyn CB6 general meetings.  He often started off by reminding us that he was born at NY Methodist Hospital, and with the exception of serving our country oversees in the armed forces, spent his whole life living in Park Slope.

Bob’s message was often simple, and eloquently delivered.  To paraphrase…Parks are special places, where people of all races, incomes and interests mix.  They reconnect people to nature.  They feed the soul serving as inspiration to artists and dreamers, poets and planners.  They provide a source of jobs, particularly maintenance jobs, which are harder and harder to come by. Jobs, he often said, were the key to restoring a sense of pride and productivity to the least fortunate among us.  And, once park space is gone, it is not so easily replaced.  It is therefore the job of every citizen to defend, preserve and care for the wonderful green and open spaces throughout our City.  Of course, his favorite spot was his beloved Prospect Park, the crown jewel of all of New York City’s parks.

Bob’s presence was electric, his words were stirring, and he will be sorely missed.  I, for one, will especially miss his periodic call to conscience, which always seemed perfectly timed to fit into the Community Board’s 3-minute speaking limit at general meetings.

Please note the charities listed in the New York Times death notice below.

MAKLA–Robert M., of Brooklyn, NY passed away on October 14, 2010. Bob was beloved by his sisters Grace and Alice and his nieces and nephew. A tireless and inspiring advocate for the city’s parks, Bob founded several park conservation organizations to provide tree care and maintenance to the park’s natural treasures. He was known for introducing cyclists to the wonders of the city through his middle-of-the-night bike tours. Bob served in WWII and the Korean War, graduated from Princeton and Yale Law, and was an active and devoted partner at the law firm of D’Amato & Lynch. Contributions may be made to the Prospect Park Alliance, Development Office, 95 Prospect Park West, Brooklyn, NY 11215 (designate “tree care”) or to The Tree Trust, Central Park Conservancy, 14 E. 60th St., 8th Floor, New York, NY 10022.