Beloved NYCHA Handyman Leighton Brown Killed by Falling Tree in Brooklyn Nor'easter
Leighton Brown, a 56-year-old New York City Housing Authority maintenance worker known as 'Mr. Fix-it,' died on Saturday, September 26, 2026, when a tree fell on him in East New York, Brooklyn, during a severe nor'easter. Brown was working an unplanned overtime shift near the Cypress Hills Houses complex when the tree struck him around 3:20 p.m. He had recently received a promotion and was in his final week at the location. Residents recognized his body by his distinctive brown rain boots. The storm caused widespread damage across the Northeast, including coastal flooding in New Jersey and power outages affecting over 100,000 households. Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Public Advocate Jumaane Williams mourned Brown, urging residents to report hazardous trees to 311.
