Christmas Giveback Brings 'Smiles', Honors Fallen NYPD Det. From LI

RIVERHEAD, NY — Detective Brian 'Smiles' Simonsen, of Calverton, was known for his big grin — and also for an unmatched kind heart. His mother, speaking to Patch in a past interview, said her son once saw a boy playing baseball outside his precinct.

The boy told Simonsen that he'd lost his mitt. "When Brian told him to ask his parents to buy another one, he told him that they didn't have the money — and my son went and bought him a new baseball mitt," Linda Simonsen said. "It was stories like that, that Brian never told me about. He was not one to brag on himself."

Simonsen, 42, died in February 2019 after being tragically shot by friendly fire while responding to a cell phone store robbery in Queens.

His legacy runs deep and lives on through the Detective Brian “Smiles” Simonsen Foundation, created to do good work in his name.

And an annual effort, a "Christmas Giveback" in his honor, would surely be something that would bring a trademark smile to Simonsen's face. According to Leanne Simonsen, Brian's widow, on Thursday, the Simonsen Foundation participated in its third annual "Christmas Giveback" for three local families in Riverhead.

The idea was born, she said, when a representative of Assemblyman Jarett Gandolfo reached out to the organization, telling them about the "Shop With A Cop" program that helps make holiday dreams come true for children in needy families.

They were connected with the Riverhead Central School District and, the first year, they were paired up with a little girl to shop with.

"We fell in love with her — and shopped until we couldn't shop anymore," Leanne Simonsen said. "It was the first time I felt pure joy since Brian was killed. Seeing that little girl's happiness literally spread through all of us."

The next year, they were paired with another little girl to shop for.

"She was a shy girl who never asked for much," Simonsen said. "She was so, so happy with whatever you gave her. She was so gentle and quiet — we wanted to make that little girl smile so badly."

Most of what the child asked for was purchased online and delivered to her home with the help of Riverhead Police, Southold Police, and a Suffolk County Police Department K9 unit. "She was overwhelmed and so excited," Simonsen said.

She added: "We were told by the school that the little girl had never been able to speak in front of her class before but, after her experience with us, she stood in front of the class and told them all about it. That was a huge step for her."

This year, the Giveback spotlighted two brothers. Gifts were delivered Thursday with the help of Riverhead and Southold Police, as well as a Suffolk County police dog team. Gifts were also delivered to the little girls chosen in the past two years.

"This has become one of our favorite things to do," Simonsen said. "Grandpa Vern — Brian's 104-year-old grandfather — passed away Saturday, and we buried him this week. So this year there is special meaning, because we can all use a little more happy."

Simonsen was a 19-year veteran of the 102nd Precinct in Queens. He was "was off duty, selflessly responding to a robbery call," a resolution honoring him added. Nicknamed "Smiles" for his contagious grin, cheerful disposition and the innate ability to positively influence everyone he met, Simonsen was the epitome of goodness. The primary mission of the foundation is to never forget him and to "do good" while spreading smiles, the resolution said.

The foundation hosts and participates in fundraisers to raise money and buy safety gear for working dogs, award college scholarships to deserving students from Riverhead High School, and to benefit the marine rescue center in Riverhead. In addition, the foundation holds Youth Field Days.

When Simonsen died, thousands lined the streets of Hampton Bays for his funeral. A street was named for him near his childhood home in South Jamesport in 2019.

While he touched myriad lives through his life of service, Simonsen is forever mourned by those who loved him most.

Speaking with Patch, Simonsen's mother said his wife, Leanne "is doing a superb job with the foundation. She is remarkable."

Losing her son, Linda said, was unthinkable. "Brian, he was my world," she said. "My rock."

Linda had lost her daughter Melissa, 13, in 1992 when she was struck by a car in Riverhead, and her husband Paul, just six months after. "Brian was only 16, but he was always there for me — always," she said.

When her son told her that he wanted to be a police officer, Linda said she felt a mother's fear.

"I told him, 'I'm happy, because that's what you want, and I wouldn't stand in your way.' Of course, whenever an officer was hurt or shot, I would call him, and he would say, 'I'm okay, Mom, don't worry.'"

Until the day when the call was about her own boy. "I was devastated," she said.

Reflecting on her son, Linda said: "He was one in a million. He had a huge personality and he just loved everyone — and everyone loved him."

When asked how her son would feel about the huge outpouring of love after his death, Linda said: "I think he would say, 'Why are they making such a big deal?' He was the type, if he did something for you, he never expected anything in return. He did it from his heart. That always amazed me."