Community members are gathering to say goodbye to Greg "Jocko" Jackson, who they say helped lift the community.
Jackson died of a heart attack last Tuesday.
Jackson, who was considered the unofficial mayor of Brownsville, had played in the NBA before helping restore the Brownsville Recreation Center.
"He was a father to all of Brownsville," says George Greene. "Every kid that was raised in Brownsville, Jocko was a father to them."
Residents say Jackson helped turn the center from a place you would avoid into a home away from home.
The recreation center will be closed tomorrow for a ceremony honoring Jackson.