Lawrence Street of Riverhead died Jan. 14, 2026 at the Kanas Center for Hospice Care in Westhampton Beach. He was 71 years old.
Born in Southampton on June 18, 1954, he was the son of William Lee and Laura Frances (Cooper) Street. He grew up in Riverhead, one of a family of six children. He attended Riverhead High School and served two years as president of the student body. He graduated in 1972 and went on to attend Southampton College, where he earned a bachelor of arts degree. He later earned a master’s degree at Dowling College and a certificate of advanced graduate studies at Cambridge College in Massachusetts.
He later moved to St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands, where he worked as a secondary transition supervisor in the USVI Department of Education.
Upon returning to Riverhead, he worked as a substitute teacher in the Riverhead and Southampton school districts and also worked in the special education program at BOCES.
Street served as president of the Eastern Long Island Branch of the NAACP from January 2020 through January 2025, succeeding longtime president Lucius Ware. Prior to assuming the position of president, he served as the organization’s treasurer. Street was also a member of the East End Voters Coalition, the Riverhead Town Anti-Bias Task Force, and Erase Racism.
He was honored by the Suffolk County Office of Multicultural Affairs and Community Engagement in 2025.
Larry enjoyed being active in the community, traveling, dancing and music, his sister Lauretta Street said. “He was a very spiritual person and enjoyed being Involved in church,” she said. “He was a very family-oriented guy.”
Predeceased by his father William Lee Street, by his sister, Venetia Smith and his brother, Barry Street, he is survived by his mother, Laura Frances Street, of Riverhead and his siblings, Lauretta Street, of Riverhead, Brenda Street, of Mastic, Kimberly West, of North Carolina and Christopher Street, of California.
A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, Jan. 24 at 11 a.m. at First Baptist Church of Bridgehampton in Bridgehampton.
Memorial donations may be made to the NAACP.
