Francis Leonard “Lenny” Higgins (1928-2015), the former President of the New York Newspaper Pressmen’s Union and a Roman Catholic Deacon whose combination of hard-knock roots, charisma and empathy helped him cement major bargains between newspaper magnates and the blue-collar workers who ran the presses during a turbulent era, died at his home in River Vale, N.J., on November 13.
Lenny is survived by his wife Kathleen and their four children, Kathleen Higgins (John Rosiak) of Rockville, MD, Leonard Higgins (Julianne) of Wilton, CT, Maura Higgins of Upper Saddle River and Mahwah, NJ and Eileen Babikian (Jeffrey) of Ramsey, NJ, and twelve grandchildren – Luke, Daniel and Paul Rosiak; Caroline and Sean Higgins; Chelsea, Andrew and Jacqueline Feldman; and Ryan, Lauren, Michael and Brendan Babikian.
As President of the New York Newspaper Pressmen's Union Local 2, which represented workers from New York's three major papers, he negotiated a last-minute deal with Rupert Murdoch that kept the New York Post from permanently shutting down, with a Washington Post article characterizing Mr. Higgins as “tense but resolute” in the face of Mr. Murdoch’s ultimatum.
The prior year, he represented New York Times pressmen and secured a 10-year staffing level commitment from the Sulzberger family, owner of the Times, as the paper dramatically shifted its operations, including opening a $400 million suburban plant in Edison, New Jersey. Later, as an Officer for the International Union, he was brought in to resolve labor stalemates at other papers, including the Washington Post.
Lenny flowed seamlessly between social strata to bring people together during a time of tense labor disputes. During his years toiling in the newspaper presses, which were then housed in the basement of the New York Times’ newsroom, he developed a keen understanding of world and political affairs, much of it gleaned from a close reading of the news pages that he steered through the presses.
He regaled Times reporters with his storytelling ability at the bars where members of both the newsroom and the pressroom then commingled, worked effectively at high-level meetings with business tycoons at which multi-million dollar deals were brokered, and reserved unconditional love for all people: When a pressman was convicted of murder and later died, he made a point to arrange and attend his funeral, correctly anticipating that almost no one else--other than the Priest--would.
Lenny Higgins was born in 1928 and raised in Depression-era Hell’s Kitchen, where he worked odd jobs as a child to support his younger siblings. He dropped out of high school to enlist in the Marine Corps despite being too young and was shipped out to China at the age of 17 in March 1946, where he patrolled the Great Wall. He was honorably discharged in November 1947 and returned to Manhattan, where he met his wife, Kathleen. They were married in 1955 and bought a home in River Vale, N.J. in 1961, where they resided ever since.
Throughout his career he often worked overnight shifts, returning home just in time to walk his children to the school bus stop in the morning. Lenny had an incredible love for his wife, children and grandchilden and treasured time spent with them at his summer home in Long Beach Island. A member of the first graduating class of Deacons in the Archdiocese of Newark, he served for many years as a Deacon at the Roman Catholic Church of Our Lady of Mercy parish in Park Ridge, N.J. He participated in the marriages and baptisms of numerous parishioners, friends, and family members, including those of his own children and grandchildren.
A Funeral Mass will take place at The Church of the Presentation in Upper Saddle River, NJ at 11:00 am on Friday, November 20th. A wake will be held on Thursday, November 19th at the Becker Funeral Home in Westwood, NJ (2-4 pm and 7-9 pm). In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you make a donation in memory of Francis Leonard Higgins to the Fresh Air Fund, 633 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017.
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