Uncrowned Community Builders

Russell N. Service was a longtime Buffalo resident who became known as the dean of Long Island's black politicians. He moved to Buffalo with his family from his birthplace, Boston, Massachusetts in 1925. He was reared and educated in the city, graduating from Hutchinson Technical School as well as the University of Buffalo. He held a Bachelor of Arts degree and a master's degree in education. At UB he excelled in sports as a member of the football and wrestling teams.

For over 20 years, Service was the executive secretary of the Michigan Avenue YMCA. He directed activities at the YMCA, a central meeting and recreation place for youth, community organizations and the black community in general. He left that post in the early 1960s to take a similar position at the YMCA in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of New York City. He was then appointed to the metropolitan staff of the New York City YMCA before retiring and beginning a political career that spanned nearly 50 years.

Service was a member of the Hempstead Republican Club for 13 years and for many years pushed to get more blacks involved in the Republican Party. He was involved in efforts to recruit more black officials in Nassau County. A Republican committeeman for the 38th District of Long Island, Service was chairman of the Black Leaders Council and the Hempstead Village Black and Hispanic Voters League.

He was the first African American elected to public office in Nassau County and for years served as its highest ranking black official. He was appointed to the Hempstead Village Board in 1968 and was elected to that position several months later. He was re-elected several times before stepping down in 1987. He was appointed deputy Nassau County executive in 1974 and served in that position as well as a number of other top county administrative positions until 1988 when he retired to spend more time with his family.

He was the father of two sons, Michael B. and Russell Jr. and five grandchildren.