Village Hall rotunda named in honor of late Francis X. Becker

Gold letters spelling Francis X. Becker’s name now adorn the domed roof of the rotunda at Lynbrook Village Hall. Across from where his name is permanently affixed and above the heads of where the mayor and trustees sit during board meetings reads the message, “In God We Trust.”

The new additions to Village Hall were unveiled during the Aug. 14 meeting of the village trustees, and Mayor Bill Hendrick announced that the rotunda is permanently named in Becker’s honor.

“This is obviously a very big night for our family,” said the late Becker’s son, Hilary Becker, who serves as a village trustee. “This building was incredibly important to my dad. … Having his name up there really means a lot to our family. His catholic faith would certainly be one of the biggest factors in his life, and having the phrase ‘In God We Trust,’ above our heads, I just don’t think my father would be able to find a better phrase.”

Francis X. Becker was born on Aug. 20, 1925, the son of U.S. Congressman Francis J. Becker. He graduated from Lynbrook High School in 1943 and enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Forces, serving in World War II. He earned the Good Conduct Metal and victory medals for serving in the war. He was also a Golden Glove boxing champion.

Becker received degrees from Cornell University and Cornell Law School. He ran for mayor of Lynbrook in 1968 and won, eventually serving as the longest-tenured mayor in the history of the village. He was credited with coining the mantra “Lynbrook U.S.A., the village that leads the way!” which still serves as the village’s official slogan.

He was elected to the State Supreme Court in 1980 and retired in 1994. Becker made a lasting impact on Lynbrook, including forming the village’s Little League and Youth Athletic Association. He was a founding member of the St. Raymond’s Holy Name Society and a member of St. Mary’s Council of Knights of Columbus New York Elks Lodge No. 1 and of the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 307.

At the ceremony to celebrate Becker’s honor, Hendrick shared a story about how late in his life, Becker was often seen doing yard work and someone once stopped and asked him if he was a gardener because his yard looked so good. He said Becker left a lasting impression on the village.

“He was a great friend to me,” Hendrick said. “A great mayor, a great soldier, a great resident and public servant. … He left his mark on Lynbrook, which can not be erased.”

Jeff Greenfield, who is a partner at Lynbrook-based NGL Insurance Group, LLC and a member of the Chamber of Commerce, called Becker an inspiration for his public service. He added that Becker was proud of being from Lynbrook and recalled a time when he reached out to Becker after the first board meeting he attended with a question and was given a history lesson about everything that went into building Village Hall.

“I could see the gleam in his eye and how proud he was with it,” Greenfield said. “And he said, ‘I didn’t pay for the architects’ fee,’” he added with a laugh.