NYPD hero Kevin Czartoryski, stricken by 9/11-related lung disease, dies at 46
NYPD hero Kevin Czartoryski, stricken by 9/11-related lung disease, dies at 46
BY John Lauinger
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Monday, December 6th 2010, 4:00 AM
Retired Detective Kevin Czartoryski, who helped improve relations between the NYPD and the gay
community, died Sunday following a battle with lung disease. He was 46.
Czartoryski, who retired in 2009 on a 9/11 medical disability, died at New York-Presbyterian Hospital
Weill Cornell in Manhattan. No cause of death has been determined, but Czartoryski suffered from
pulmonary fibrosis, a lung disorder usually suffered by people exposed to asbestos for long periods.
The NYPD medical board determined his condition was caused by his time at Ground Zero, searching
for remains and staffing a makeshift morgue.
His condition improved after a single lung transplant in May, but deteriorated again in August.
Last month, doctors found cancer in his other lung that had spread to his bones and stomach.
Czartoryski was the youngest of six children from a Maspeth, Queens, family. He was a member of the NYPD cadet program while studying at St. John's University. After joining the NYPD in 1988, he
served in Queens, in the Narcotics Division and in the Hate Crimes Task Force. Following 9/11, he
worked in the public information office, where he earned the respect of the press corps for his
fairness and class.
Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said Czartoryski served with "great distinction" in the
public information office and while acting as the commissioner's liaison to the city's LGBT
community.
"He was a consummate professional and a cheerful bridge for understanding, who will be missed
terribly," Kelly said.
City Council Speaker Christine Quinn said Czartoryski's legacy will be in bridging the gap
between the NYPD and the city's LGBT community. She said he was a sounding board and a messenger who always had a smile on his face.
"He did it with tremendous skill," Quinn said of his role as liaison. "That is a hard role."
"Kevin loved his work at the NYPD and loved life as well," said Michael Palladino, head of the NYPD's
detective union. "I admired his heroism, not only for his work at Ground Zero, but for how he conducted himself in the last days of his life."
A wake will be held Tuesday and Wednesday from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Village C
hapels, 67-67 Eliot Ave., Middle Village, Queens. A Mass will be held Thursday, time to be announced, at St. Raphael's Church, 3520 Greenpoint Ave. in Long Island City.
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It is sad when the world loses a good man especially to...
the scum who did 9/11.
"He was a consummate professional and a cheerful bridge for understanding, who will be missed
terribly," Kelly said.
City Council Speaker Christine Quinn said Czartoryski's legacy will be in bridging the gap
between the NYPD and the city's LGBT community. She said he was a sounding board and a messenger who always had a smile on his face.
"He did it with tremendous skill," Quinn said of his role as liaison. "That is a hard role."
"Kevin loved his work at the NYPD and loved life as well," said Michael Palladino, head of the NYPD's
detective union. "I admired his heroism, not only for his work at Ground Zero, but for how he conducted himself in the last days of his life."