Ozzie Brown, a colorful, loquacious and dedicated member of the Bronx’s Community Board 7 who was also active in the civil rights movement and an advocate for diabetes awareness, died last week after a battle with cancer. He was 67 years old.

Services are being held today for Brown at John J. Fox funeral home at 203 E. 201st St. (at the corner of E. 201st Street and Grand Concourse) from 2 to 5 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m.

Former Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion, who said Brown was “one of his best friends,” will speak at the night service.

In an interview this morning, Carrion called Brown a “true Renaissance Man.”

“Ozzie was a worldly person,” Carrion said. “He brought a mix of experiences that many people would be surprised to hear about. He was a musician, a promoter of music, a philosopher, a lover of the arts.”

We’ll have more on Brown’s life and legacy tomorrow and in the next edition of the Norwood News, which hits streets tomorrow.