Brookville Park

Derek Dilworth (1954-1999) was a Laurelton resident who championed the park and promoted sports programs for local youth.

Dilworth was born and raised in southeastern Queens to James and Marcia Dilworth. After earning his high school diploma through New York University’s School of Continuing Education, he attended Baruch College and Virginia Union University. From 1976 to 1980, he served in the Air Force, earning the rank of sergeant. He returned to the aviation industry in 1986 as a navigation, communications and electronics technician with the Federal Aviation Administration, at JFK International Airport. Sharing his passion for aviation with local children, he often invited them on tours of the control tower. He later was promoted as the Eastern Region’s computer control systems manager, the first African American in this position.

An avid tennis player, Dilworth was a member of the United States Tennis Association and helped revive the Brookville Racket Club. He offered free lessons to neighborhood youth and lobbied the City to resurface the courts. Dilworth’s love for Brookville Park extended beyond the courts as he repainted the park’s fences, purchased storage equipment and stocked  Conselyea Pond with fish. Following his death in 1999, Parks reconstructed the tennis courts and renamed six on the eastern side of Brookville Park after Dilworth in 2001.

In 2008, residents who shared Dilworth’s love for the park founded Friends of Brookville Park. Its volunteers donate their time to promote changes in their park as well as their community. The group hosts seasonal stewardship projects, holiday events, educational workshops, environmental upkeep, beautification, arts activities, and more. They also encourage students to give their time for the betterment of their community.