Phillip Dudley Brown IV Of Shinnecock Nation Dies December 19

Phillip Dudley Brown IV of Shinnecock Nation died on December 19. He was 77.

Mr. Brown was born on September 11, 1943, in Southampton. He was the oldest son born to the late Harriett “Princess Starleaf” (nee Crippen) Brown Gumbs and her first husband U.S. Airman Phillip D. Brown III of Silver Lake Croton. Mr. Brown lived with his mother at 169th Street in the Bronx until the age of 5, when his father, deployed to the Philippines in 1944, was reported missing in action.

Mr. Brown was well known as a selfless and caring man who effortlessly showed love toward others, according to his family. Many called him “Brother Phil” or “Big Phil,” once he became a father. His Indian name, given to him by his mother, was “Little Bear.” However, his reputation for fearlessly confronting anyone who dared to injure or disrespect his family or friends earned him the nickname “Cochise” amongst his peers. Later in life, Mr. Brown proclaimed himself “Windspirit,” because he felt like a free spirit guided by the wind; this name would also represent his devout connection with the Creator, his family said.

Mr. Brown attended Southampton public schools from first to 11th grade, when he was placed into remedial classes, and told he was too dumb to graduate, his family recalled. Determined for her son to graduate, in 1960 Mr. Brown’s mother moved with him to Greenwich, Connecticut, where he transferred to the local high school, which ranked No. 25 in the country. Upon completing his entry exams, Mr. Brown was offered the opportunity to skip history and English, because he scored 98 and higher. In addition, the accounting teacher would often ask Mr. Brown to monitor and instruct class in his absence.

While Mr. Brown was benched to second string lineman at Southampton High School, despite the fact that, as a speedy, 180-pound running back, he would single-handedly dominate the team’s first string in scrimmages; his football career thrived at Greenwich High School, where he became star running back under Coach Sam Rutigliano, (head coach of the Cleveland Browns from 1978 to 1984).

On his first day of football practice, the coach asked Mr. Brown to show him what he could do on the field. The ball snapped and Mr. Brown received the handoff. He stepped behind the huge lineman, cut back across the field, and sprinted for a touchdown. Coach Rutigliano pointed to the linemen and said “You’re supposed to follow the big guys and they will make a way for you.” Mr. Brown’s response was, “I was going to, but I saw everyone else going that way. So I went the other way.” Likewise was Mr. Brown’s strategy for making his way across the grain of life.

Mr. Brown graduated from Greenwich High School in 1961. After high school, he enlisted in the United States Air Force, but was discharged a short time after, due to medical reasons. He then returned to Greenwich, where he had been courting Carolyn L. Morton, a local girl from high school whom he called “Kay.” On July 25, 1962, the couple married and moved to Shinnecock.

Mr. Brown’s work ethic was instilled in him at a young age by his grandmother, Harriet Ruben (nee Lee) Crippen. He took great pride in everything he put his hands on; be it ground maintenance, masonry, cooking or art.

He began working, at age 12 for the Shinnecock Golf Course, and by age 18 he earned a full wage at

Southampton Lumber Yard. His cousin Ferdinand “Dickey” Lee recruited him to work for Bill Darby, in Southampton, where Mr. Brown perfected his craft alongside some of the best masons in town. However, after being called “boy” one too many times by his supervisor, he decided that he no longer wanted to work for anyone paler than himself and so he decided to go into business on his own.

Mr. Brown’s masonry incorporated outdoor designs that are embedded throughout the landscapes of estates from Montauk to Manhattan, Westchester to New Jersey shores and across New England. He designed multiple elaborate chimneys on Dune Road and worked on houses as well as commercial and public buildings. The northeast wing of Southampton Fire Department Annex and the enormous stone wall that adorns Southampton Brick and Tile are both his work. However, some of his most creative work can be found on Shinnecock. His signature design combines local water life, set in a brick and cement tapestry, to include driftwood and seaweed, which express Shinnecock’s cultural identity as People of the Shores.

His natural creativity and talent was displayed in not only his chosen profession of master stone masonry, but also in his ability to transform a piece of driftwood into a beautiful lamp, or a tree limb into a walking stick or cane. He also worked with his friend, Harry Wallace, to make unique wampum and other stone jewelry, which he sold at pow wow. No two pieces were ever the same.

As a youth and into his teenage years, Mr. Brown had the privilege of accompanying his mother on her many historic, cultural and tribal activist milestones. When his mother challenged Great Cove Realty’s encroachment on Shinnecock Territory, he rode shotgun in their Rocket 88 Oldsmobile helping her to get petition signatures. He and his mother also belonged to one of the first intertribal Native American dance troupes, which included members from the Cape Cod and Narragansett tribes. They performed at local colleges and universities up and down the coast.

Like his mother, Mr. Brown used every moment as a teaching moment to pass along historical and cultural knowledge to his own children. He was eager to share his talents and traditional skills with anyone who cared to listen and receive the wisdom he had to offer.

When National Geographic journalists came to interview his mother for an article about pollution and the New England Bite, Mr. Brown took the reporters through the entire process of fishing, clamming, and hunting and then cooked the meal in the old way. His exhibition of how Shinnecock people survived off the land for centuries inspired the journalist to author the book “Wisdom Keepers.”

His professional skills crossed into culinary genius, his family noted. When Mr. Brown initially returned from Connecticut with his wife, Carolyn, the couple opened an eatery at his mother’s established Montauk Highway business, Shinnecock Indian Outpost. The eatery became known for its New York City inspired hot dogs and Shinnecock clam chowder, which had tourists and locals alike lined up from Manhattan to Montauk. The business became so popular that, ultimately, local competitors conspired to shut it down.

Mr. Brown’s catering career later included a number of native clambake parties for Martyrs and A&E Entertainment, which hosted events in Montauk and Central Park. During the summer of 1985, Mayor Bill Hattrick and Ronnie Cane made a provision for Mr. Brown to run the Coopers on the Beach pavilion, where he was joined by his oldest son, Phillip D. Brown V. Former Mets owner Fred Wilpon was a regular who would often sneak Shinnecock fries, not on his dietary plan. However, Mr. Brown’s most epic culinary endeavor was co-founding the family-run Clam Stand, which has been a popular draw at the Shinnecock Nation Pow Wow for over 50 years.

A devoted son, father, grandfather, companion, and friend, his family said, Mr. Brown loved God, his family and his Shinnecock people deeply, in that order, even when the love was not returned. He always sought to empower Shinnecock people first, whether he was teaching a trade or providing work opportunities. As a result, he was known to many as a mentor and confidant.

Mr. Brown resided in Croton on Hudson for more than 35 years, where he was valued as a steadfast friend to a number of folks there and in surrounding areas. He was an avid member of Mt. Lebanon Baptist church in Peekskill, New York, where he often donated his time as a handyman.

In addition to his love for Shinnecock Bay and the mighty Atlantic Ocean — preferably from the view at Coopers Beach — Mr. Brown had an undeniable affection for the Hudson River. According to family, Mr. Brown said his walks along the Hudson River were spiritual and brought him closer to the Great Spirit. Also, the Hudson River trails revealed many beautiful pieces of driftwood that inspired his countless works of art.

Mr. Brown and his mother were close. He was an only child for the first 17 years of his life. When his mother was moved into hospice, Mr. Brown did everything he could to transfer his rehabilitation back to the East End to be closer. No distance, time or even death could break their bond.

Family recalls that Mr. Brown once stated, when his mother and beloved Aunt Florence Crippen were gone from this earth, his time here would be no more. On Saturday, December 19, Mr. Brown kept his promise as he departed from this world at the age of 77.

No matter whether one called him Little Bear, Brother Phil, Big Phil, Cochise, or Windspirit, one thing for certain was that Mr. Brown was a complex, multi-faceted man of many treasures, his family said. Perhaps the most profound was his ability to make people laugh, even through the most unfortunate circumstances, they said.

Mr. Brown never met a person he did not say hello to and mean it; and he also never used the word goodbye, instead he would sign off with “see you later” or “so long.”

In addition to his parents, three aunts and six uncles, Mr. Brown was predeceased by a daughter, Paulette H. Brown, a son, Marco Liubenov Sr., and a nephew, NaKea L. Perry.

He is survived by his life partner of 47 years Lutizia Liubenov and former wife Carolyn Gumbs; two brothers, Launcelot A. Gumbs II and Edward A. Gumbs; five sons, Phillip D. Brown V and his wife Michelle, Preston W. Brown and his wife Daphne, Curtis Terry and his wife Migdalia, Guy Reddick, Peter Liubenov and the baby of the bunch, his love bug Marco Liubenov Jr. and his wife Allie; a daughter; a daughter-in-law Jamie Catala; eight granddaughters, five grandsons, four great-granddaughters and eight great-grandsons; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and dear friends.

Services, entrusted to Brockett Funeral Home, were held on Saturday, December 26, at the Full Gospel Church in Southampton.

In lieu of flowers, donations to the Paulette H. Brown Memorial Scholarship may be sent to Southampton School District Office, 70 Leland Lane, Southampton, NY 11968.