Michael Charles Arrington

Michael Charles Arrington, Sr., born to (the late) James and Gertrude Arrington in Brooklyn, New York on February 24, 1952.  Raised by the school of hard knocks early on in life, he quickly became a master of making lemonade out of lemons. He could easily be mistaken for the mayor of any block he visited because of his charisma and charm. Everyone knew Mike! Always ready with a joke and a contagious smile, he touched the hearts and minds of all those he came in contact with.

He attended The College of New Rochelle and was a self-taught artist of many mediums.  As a natural-born creator, he had many extraordinary natural gifts and talents.  He loved to sketch portraits, sculpt people from past and present such as Malcolm X Nefertiti and Bob Marley.  He won first place for his sculpture of Malcolm X at the African Street Festival. He even became a freelance photographer.  He was also a self-taught chess player and earned a high-level rating competing in various chess tournaments.

In his professional life, Michael had a wealth of skills and experience in the workforce. He held various driving positions operating everything from limos to yellow cabs to buses and trucks. His career journey also included years as a building superintendent, custodial engineer, and owned his own moving business.  In his final act, he stepped on the big screen after appearing in the movie, searching for Bobby Fischer and made his debut on shows such as Law & Order, Blue Bloods, Power, and Ghost.

Michael is survived by his older sister Rosemary Vikki Brown. Mike leaves to mourn and cherish his memory, his seven children: Michael Jr., Hanif, Safiya, Mohammed, Rafeeq, Majenta, and James and two step-sons Calvin and Charles; thirteen grandchildren: Malik Arrington, Cheyenne Arrington, Abbigale Arrington, Amira Abdur-Raheem, Zenobia Abdur-Raheem, Nyla-Abdur Raheem, Marcus Stephen Abdur-Raheem, Leilani Estelle Raheem, Kya Carla Raheem, Martin Arrington, Hudson Kelly Jr, Mars Kelly, Alani Jamicyn Arrington; four Step-Grands: Talik Lightfoot, Jovanni Lightfoot, Giselle Lightfoot, Kodi Lightfoot and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, aunts, uncles, and friends who he loved dearly.
 

Repast information is below:

Friday, July 9th: Brooklyn Party Space - 562 Grand Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11238 from 7pm to 12am

Saturday, July 10th: Shinnecock Presbyterian - Church 100 Church Street, Southampton, New York 11968 @ 1PM

To send flowers to the family, please visit our floral store.