Longtime city Parks Commissioner Henry Stern passed away Wednesday. On Thursday, he was remembered both as a tireless champion for the city’s public spaces, and as a colorful character who was a fixture of civic life for decades.

To call Henry Stern a character was an understatement. In his 15 years as Parks Commissioner under two different mayors, Stern used costumes and stunts to draw attention to his beloved parks system.

He essentially gave his life to public service. After years working at city agencies, he served as a city councilman for nine years before Ed Koch tapped him as Parks Commissioner in 1983. 

He was there in 1986 when Donald Trump rebuilt Wollman Rink in Central Park at no cost to the city. He recalled the effort some 30 years later during Trump's presidential campaign.

"He took bragging rights," Stern told us in a 2015 interview. "But then, you knew that when he was involved."

In 1994, Stern was tapped for a second tour of duty as Parks Commissioner by newly elected Mayor Rudolph Giuliani.

Among his notable quirks: Stern gave every staffer a parks code name, which they wore on a pin. Stern kept meticulous records of the names.

Stern's tenure was marred by allegations of racism, which he denied. A discrimination lawsuit ultimately resulted in a $21 million settlement. 

Stern, a government reformer, belonged to the now-defunct Liberal Party, at one time seeking to revive it.

He had a stint as head of the good-government group Citizens Union and later founded his own group, New York Civic.

News of his death Thursday was met with numerous tributes.

"He was a great New Yorker, a colorful New Yorker, to say the least. An eccentric New Yorker," Mayor Bill de Blasio told reporters Thursday. "But a guy who got a lot done, who cared deeply about our city and deeply about our parks. And I think a lot of good happened on his watch."