Fred Falconer Jr. has spent all but two years of his life in Port Washington, where he fills the role of volunteer firefighter, third-generation neighborhood florist and devoted member of a variety of community organizations.
And on Monday night, the Port Washington staple was recognized for his large contribution to his community as Community Chest of Port Washington’s Citizen of the Year.
Falconer described receiving the award as overwhelming, and many described Falconer’s recognition as well deserved.
The 72-year-old has spent more than half of his life, 46 years, as an active member of the Flower Hill Hose Company, taking up his father’s former post after he had served in the department for 50 years.
Volunteering as a firefighter isn’t the only role where Falconer followed in his father’s footsteps. Besides sharing the same name, Falconer also worked alongside Frederick Falconer Sr. at the florist shop that has now been in their family for three generations, S.F. Falconer, Florist.
Fred Falconer worked at the family florist shop throughout his life and purchased it from his father in 1980. Fred’s father inherited the business from Fred’s grandfather, Simon Frederick Falconer, who opened the shop in 1921.
Simon Falconer worked on the Guggenheim Estate after he migrated to the county from Scotland. When he left the estate to open his own business, his boss, Harry Guggenheim, gave Falconer one of his greenhouses as a parting gift. That greenhouse is still in use today as part of Falconer’s florist shop.
Some of the many organizations that Falconer is involved with include the Port Washington Chamber of Commerce, Port Washington Lions Club, CancerCare, Port Youth Association and Port’s PAL program.
He said his drive to give back comes from his love for the Port Washington community.
The only two years that Falconer spent living outside of Port Washington were the ones he spent overseas serving in the U.S. Army. He was drafted and sent to Germany shortly after graduating from Paul D. Schreiber High School in 1964.
He came back to town after the military and eventually continued the family tradition of raising his own family, a son and a daughter, in Port Washington.
Community Chest of Port Washington has been giving the Citizen of the Year Award each year since 1969. The award recognizes Port residents who have exhibited a lifetime of outstanding volunteer service on behalf of the citizens of Port Washington.
Falconer will now join the ranks of the 46 previous recipients of the Citizen of the Year award, a group that includes Harold Metz, the founder of Publishers Clearing House and the first recipient of the award, to 2018’s Citizen of the Year, John Belanich, who was a major contributor to a number of Port Washington organizations.
