By Luke Peteley
Staten Island Advance, N.Y.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Kevin G. Hanley, a retired Navy veteran and NYPD detective remembered for his heroism, patriotism and selflessness, died on Oct. 26 due to complications from 9/11 related cancer.
Hanley was born in Brooklyn on Dec. 13, 1954, the youngest of three children. He grew up in public housing in Sheepshead Bay, graduating from Sheepshead Bay High School in 1972.
Two years later, in 1974, Hanley would go on to begin a 32-year career of both active and reserve duties in the U.S. Navy. After graduating from Navy Submarine School in New London, C.T., he served aboard several submarines during the Cold War. He completed seven patrols before being honorably discharged in 1978.
Returning home, Hanley followed in his father’s footsteps and joined the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 807, working as a truck driver before becoming a shop steward.
In 1983, Hanley married his wife of 41 years, Florence. A year later, the couple welcomed their first son, James. In the years that followed, Kevin and Florence would welcome two more children, Florence and Patrick.
The 26-year-old Chicago officer was just shy of three years of service in the department
“All force, all violence, is ugly. And just because the force is ugly does not mean it is unlawful or contrary to policy,” Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters said
Former Columbus officer Adam Coy testified he thought a set of silver keys that Andre Hill was holding was a revolver; he faces at least 15 years in prison
Farifax County Real Time Crime Center detectives were alerted to the video and were able identify both drivers; both were charged with racing and stopping on the highway
Hanley’s professional path would once again take a turn when he joined the New York City Transit Police in 1988. Not long after, in 1989, he moved the family to Bulls Head, where they would live for some time before eventually settling in New Springville.
His distinguished career in law enforcement saw him serve in District 34, District 2 and the NYPD’s 70th Precinct. It was during his time at the 70th Precinct that Hanley was promoted to detective. In this role, he served in the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, the 123rd Precinct, the Intelligence Bureau, and the Hostage Negotiation Team.
“There’s letters from people that he’s locked up in the past, to my dad. ‘Thank you so much,’ because he treated people with dignity, you know, people who made mistakes in life,” Hanley’s daughter, Florence, said.
Like many of New York’s finest, Hanley responded to the 9/11 terror attack on our nation.
In the midst of serving with the NYPD, Hanley re-enlisted in the U.S. Navy Reserve as an Intelligence Specialist. In this time he was deployed to Saudi Arabia as the Combat Air Intelligence Operations Control Chief.
Then, in 2005, Hanley was deployed to Joint Task Force Guantanamo Bay as the Assistant Officer in charge of the Interrogation Control Element during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Hanley’s final deployment saw him serve for a year as an intelligence specialist and interrogator at the International Security Assistance Force headquarters in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom.
These deployments earned Hanley various commendations.
In 2008, he retired from the NYPD and joined the U.S. Secret Service as a special officer. He remained with the service for 10 years before his retirement in 2019.
Upon retirement, Hanley attended the American Academy McAllister Institute for Funeral Service in Manhattan, subsequently working in the funeral industry.
“After my brother (Patrick) died, my dad went back to school to be a funeral director, to be able to help other parents who bury their kids,” added Hanley’s daughter. “So, if that ain’t selfless and that ain’t compassion, I don’t know what is.”
It was in this time as a funeral director that the COVID-19 pandemic struck and, as shared by his daughter, Hanley continued to assist families in putting their loved ones to rest with respect and dignity.
As noted by his daughter, Hanley was also a fourth degree Knight of Columbus.
Hanley enjoyed reading, debating, spending time with family and singing. In the 1990s, Hanley joined his friend Jay Black (Jay and the Americans) on tours and would occasionally take to the stage and sing and play the bongos.
“In a family of big personalities, my dad’s was the biggest,” an excerpt from the eulogy of James J. Hanley, Kevin’s son, reads. “He was larger than life. He stood out in every room he was in. Growing up, playing sports, he was consistently the loudest voice from the sidelines, cheering on us kids, whenever he could be there because work and military service frequently took him away.”
Hanley is survived by his wife, his two children, James and Florence, his daughter-in-law and six grandchildren.
“All the good things I have, qualities about me, are inherited right from him,” Hanley’s daughter said. “He was somebody in a room, he would light the whole room up. He was my dad, he was my hero, legitimately, he was my hero.”
In the wake of Hanley’s passing, the family has experienced an outpouring of love and support from the community and those who knew him.
Hanley’s funeral Mass was held on Thursday at Blessed Sacrament Roman Catholic Church in West Brighton.
___
(c)2024 Staten Island Advance, N.Y.
Visit Staten Island Advance, N.Y. at www.silive.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
