In Memoriam

Harry Joseph Brady, Sr. (1931 – 2007)

Harry was born in 1931. He and Alice (née Tollefsen) were married in 1947, a union that lasted just shy of 60 years. Alice and Harry have six children, twenty grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren (and as of this writing, two more expected.)

In 1948, Harry enlisted in the New York Army National Guard and trained as an artilleryman. Through various assignments, his leadership ability was recognized. His military career culminated with his selection and service as Division Sergeant Major d Infantry (Command Sergeant Major in the current rank structure) of the famed 42 (Rainbow) Division; the senior enlisted position of a military component of approximately 15,000 soldiers.

In 1952, Harry was appointed a police officer with the Port of New York Authority (now The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.) Port Authority police officers are unique in that they are sworn in both the states of New York and New Jersey, an aspect of his duties that would affect his thinking and IAATI further along in his career. He was a charter member of the Port Authority Police Emerald Society.

Harry was eventually assigned to John F. Kennedy International Airport (then known as New York International Airport or Idlewild.) His interest was drawn to the parking lots of the ever-growing airport; specifically to the thieves that preyed on the hubcaps, tires and total cars parked therein. As well as being a “candy shop” for car thieves, the large and numerous parking areas were also prime territory to “dump” a car while waiting for the insurance company to process a vehicle theft claim.

As he gained experience in all aspects of auto and related crime, Harry was introduced to IAATI and enthusiastically attended its training seminars. Due to the transient nature of the airport, the vehicles he encountered on a daily basis came not only from the surrounding states and region, but also from around the world as well. He used the IAATI directory and developed many friends and contacts.

Among the facilities operated by the Port Authority, airports, ship ports, tunnels, bridges and terminals Harry’s expertise was in demand. He traveled throughout the metropolitan area assisting other officers. Besides the officers from his own department, he naturally became associated with officers from various municipalities, agencies and companies.

In 1971, Harry was the driving force behind a training seminar held in Farmingdale, NY. It was at this seminar that a formation meeting was held among regional law enforcement representatives. This group approached IAATI seeking to organize as the Northeast Regional Chapter of IAATI. A Charter was granted in 1972 and the rest is history. Harry served as the Chapter’s first president in 1972.

Already in the vice presidential chairs at the international level, Harry served as President from 1973-1974. He remained active in the Association and was the recipient the Raymond H. Dreher Memorial Award, IAATI’s most prestigious award in 1994. In 1989, NE-IAATI recognized Harry’s continued service by presenting him with the John J. Scarisbrick Memorial Award, NE-IAATI’s most esteemed.

Concurrent with his police service, when Harry’s oldest son became of age to be a Boy Scout, Harry agreed to serve as the “temporary” scoutmaster of Troop 99 in Brooklyn, NY. He held this temporary position for over 13 years, from 1959 to 1973.

During his service as Scoutmaster, Harry implemented activities and structure to maintain the interest of troop members during a time great social change, especially among teenagers. His programs were so successful that Troop 99’s membership averaged 100 boys. During the mid-sixties, Troop 99 sought another institution to sponsor an “overflow” troop and Troop 69 was born. (It just so happened that Harry’s detective shield number was 69 as well; some coincidence.)

Harry’s house served as the warehouse and distribution center for thousands and thousands of boxed candy mints that the scouts sold to raise funds. The income from the sales was held in each scout’s personal fund. The scout’s used the earned funds to attend annual two-week trips to Ten Mile River Scout Camp, weekend service trips to various scout camps to accomplish volunteer work on various chapels as well as trips to Expo ’67 in Montreal, Canada and Guajataka Scout Reservation in Puerto Rico (a first for a scout troop from NY.)

Troop 99 was well known for its camping, pioneering and cooking programs as well as the responsibility displayed by its leaders and junior leaders. Harry ran the troop as he would an army element. In affection, he was dubbed “The Boss.” During his tenure, fifteen scouts attained the rank of Eagle Scout and twenty-eight received religious awards.

Harry’s largest undertaking started as a troop trip to Washington, DC over a Washington’s Birthday (now President’s Day) weekend. To reduce costs, through Harry’s military service arrangements were approved for the scouts to stay overnight at Fort Meade, MD, eating breakfast and dinner at the Fort’s dinning facilities and lunch at a commercial cafeteria in downtown DC. Senior scouts were assigned coordination responsibilities for each facet of the trip. So successful was the trip that word spread throughout the district. Each successive trip grew in size until attendees numbered over 500. The organization of the trip became a military maneuver with the senior scouts traveling in advance and making final preparations for the arrival of the main body in over ten busses.

He coordinated an Indian dance team throughout his entire tenure, performing Indian dance shows at schools, hospitals, Annual Thanksgiving Luncheon for the March of Dimes Poster Children and during both years of the NY Worlds Fair 64-65.

As Harry’s senior scouts grew, he urged them to establish an Explorer Post. When they discovered that the Boy Scouts of America were admitting girls to Explorer Posts, the idea had a new incentive. Post 99 became the first coed Explorer Post in NYC.

Harry was the recipient of a wide array of scouting honors to include the Scoutmaster's Key, the Bronze Pelican award and the Silver Beaver. Harry also served on various Prospect District and Five Bridges District committees and co-founded an event for Cub Scouts known as a Cub-O-Ral. This annual event is still well attended.

So respected was Harry by his scouts that on Oct 27, 2000, they honored him at a “Troop 99 Reunion,” raising over $3,000.00 for the then 84 year old troop. During a 90th Anniversary celebration in 2006, both Alice and Harry received commendations and a standing ovation.

In 1974, Harry retired from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey as a detective. It wasn’t long before he was called upon by the Maryland Port Administration to share his investigative abilities. He went to work there as a detective sergeant at the Dundalk Marine Terminal. He retired about ten years later as Commanding Officer of the World Trade Center on Baltimore’s Inner Harbor with the rank of lieutenant. However, law enforcement was not yet finished with Harry. He served several years as Chief of Police in Stewartstown, PA.

Soon after Harry and Alice’s first grandchild was born, a new revelation in childcare began to develop. They bought a motor home and launched a campaign to convince their children that it would be a good opportunity for the cousins to bond if, once the grandchildren were “out of diapers,” they would be permitted to attend Nana and Papa’s annual two-week camping trip.” After the initial hesitation, all agreed and a tradition was born.

After a couple of somewhat experimental trips, Cocalico Creek Camp Ground in PA was selected as the site of the annual pilgrimage of Brady cousins.

As the number of grandchildren grew, so did the size of the trip and the motor home. As an attendance control, Harry implemented the numbering system. Each grandchild was assigned a number in order of seniority, the oldest being 1 the next 2 and so on. Bright green Brady family T-shirts with yellow lettering appeared; each with the wearers name and number on the back. To make sure that all were accounted for, Harry, being number Ø, would shout Zero and each grandchild would respond in order with her/his number.

There were two off-camp site trips each year, one to Hershey Park and one to the Green Dragon trading post. As the number of grandchildren reached into the teens, there was more than one “what type of group is this” question answered. It must have been quite a sight.

When great-grandchildren began to arrive, great deliberation surrounded the numbering system, as the grandchildren were very protective of “their” number. In the end, it was decided that the numbers would start over at 1 with the oldest; but this time the shirts would be bright yellow with green lettering.

Once Harry was fully retired, he and Alice began to raise chihuahuas under the name Brady’s Chihuahuas. They traveled in their motor home to dog shows throughout the US and Canada. He was especially proud of his “champs.” He could be found at many IAATI seminars staying at a local campground because the hotel would frown on accommodating 12 tiny dogs. He was vice president of the Chihuahua Club of Maryland.

Harry was a natural leader, with a keen insight into human nature. In every activity he entered, he did so wholeheartedly. He instilled honor, duty and patriotism. Imaginative, ingenious, and resourceful all describe Harry. While all did not always agree with him, he always had the good of the organization and its members in mind. He was extremely protective of his family, soldiers, scouts, co-workers and IAATI. He will be missed!