Thursday, October 1, 2026
“He didn’t care what people thought, he fought for the rights of the little guy,” Long Beach resident Marty Klein said of his late friend, Mark Jackson, a local civic activist who died on Dec. 30 at 84.
To say that Jackson — a longtime Long Beach resident who was a fixture at City Council meetings — was a vocal advocate for residents is an understatement, his friends said. Whether he was demanding details about the city’s finances, budget or political issues, Jackson was known for being aggressive and often abrasive when taking to the podium to ask questions or voice his concerns, regardless of which political party was in power, his friends said.
“If he thought you were wrong, he pulled no punches,” resident Richard Boodman told the City Council at Tuesday’s meeting, where he played an electronic rendition of taps on his cell phone, in memory of his late friend. “He was a good government advocate and loved living in Long Beach.”
Jackson was known for launching into tirades and for being harsh on politicians, often blasting them for the way he felt the city was being run. He could often be heard leaving the podium yelling, “Lies! Deceit!”
His rhetoric could equally elicit either applause or boos from those in the audience, but many agree that his combative nature was always done in the best interest of Long Beach. He had served as a mentor to local politicians, friends said, including Nassau County Legislator Denise Ford (R-Long Beach).
“As long as I’ve known him he’s been fighting City Hall and he was always involved in some sort of crusade against the city, and he did whatever he could to make sure people would get a fair shake,” said Klein, who had known Jackson for 20 years.
Jackson was born in the Bronx and grew up during the Depression. He served in the U.S. Navy, where he fought in the South Pacific during WWII, Klein said. He later went into the textile business in Manhattan, and moved to Long Beach, where he lived for more than 50 years with his wife of 61 years, Ruth, who died a few years ago.
To the casual observer, Jackson was a fiery rabble-rouser who demanded answers and often grated on the nerves of city officials. But those who knew him said he had a warm side that many people didn’t see.
