Celebration of life ceremony honors NYPD sergeant who died of 9/11-related illness

New York’s Staten Island. On Sunday, dozens of friends, relatives, and parishioners gathered at SonRise Faith Church in Bulls Head to honor the life of NYPD Sgt. David Dave Felix, a retired officer who passed away at the age of 67 from 9/11-related cancer in August at his Florida home.

An online obituary for Felix, a former fantastic Kills resident, recalled him as a larger-than-life gentleman with a fantastic sense of humor and a smile that could light up a room.

In the church where Felix honorably served as a deacon and one of the congregation’s elders, many pictures of him were displayed above the altar during the ceremony.

With lively music, memories, and tales, the event had a tone that was both solemn and playful.

Pastor Judy Reinglas remarked, “This is a tribute to such a powerful man of valor whose effect will never leave us.”

On Sunday, December 8, 2024, NYPD Sgt. David Felix, a former resident of Great Kills, had a celebration of life ceremony at SonRise Faith Church in Bulls Head. As stated by Scott R. Axelrod and the Staten Island AdvanceAxelrod, Scott R.

Felix started working as a police officer in 1981. After advancing through the NYPD ranks, he joined the Brooklyn South Narcotics Bureau and conducted covert operations. Before retiring as a sergeant in early 2001, he later worked as a vice squad investigator in Brooklyn South and Staten Island and as a homicide detective in Manhattan South.

He offered to assist with the recovery efforts at Ground Zero on what became known as the pile after the World Trade Center was attacked on September 11, 2001.

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Eraina, Felix’s daughter, told the Advance/SILive.com that her father would not have retired if he had known what was going to happen. He was always there to support you.

Felix’s son David grew up hearing his father’s tales of his time on the force. David called his father “awesome.” He recalled his father’s retirement party, where his coworkers repeatedly told him to forgive his father for any mistakes he made, demonstrating how well-liked he was by his fellow officers. “I’ll never forget it,” David remarked.

Because his father was a wonderful man, the younger Felix was so impressed that he joined the U.S. Army in 2004 and served in Ramadi, Iraq, calling his father whenever he could to share his experiences.

According to retired Detective First Grade Steve Litwin, Felix’s old partner, Dave always went above and above.

In one amusing story, Det. Litwin recounted how Felix, who was occasionally forgetful, would lose his car keys right when he was meant to be trailing his partner, who was out after a suspect.

There was a lot of hard work and a lot of fun. According to Det. Litwin, Dave was a smart and astute police officer who always made a positive impression and went above and beyond to assist others.

David concluded the service with a heartfelt thank you to everyone who came to commemorate Sgt. Felix’s life, as the family is now living in Florida.

“What makes this so beautiful is having friends and family here,” he remarked.

There was a lot of hard work and a lot of fun. Dave was a bright and astute policeman who was always a joy to deal with. Sgt. Felix’s old partner, Det. Steve Litwin, stated. This photo shows the two of them together in the 1980s. (Image provided by Eraina Felix.)Felix Eraina

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