LI Police Chief Laid To Rest: 'He Was The Strongest Man On Earth'

SOUTHAMPTON, NY — The street outside St. Martin of Tours Catholic Church in Amityville was a sea of blue Thursday morning, as hundreds turned out to bid a solemn farewell to Southampton Town Police Chief Steven Skrynecki.

Skrynecki died last week at 69 after battling a rare and "deadly," cancer, his son Scott Skrynecki, also a Nassau County police officer, said as he gave a moving eulogy for his father. His words were woven with beautiful memories, respect, and even laughter as he shared some of the lighter moments of their lives together.

"We are here today to honor the life of my father," Scott Skrynecki said. "I am his son. I tell you this for two reasons: I'm proud to be his son. And also, when I introduce myself, some say, 'I know your brother, Steve.'" His father loved the story, he said. "I'd tell him, 'They think we're brothers because I look terrible and you look great!'"

Looking out over the crowd gathered, Scott said his father would have been proud. "It was important to my father, at this type of event, that everything be carefully planned and executed," Scott said. "Because it matters."

Born in 1952 to Ed and Charlotte, his father lived in Hicksville, Scott said. Struggling to make ends meet, his grandfather performed as a drummer and singer with a band on the weekends.

His father grew up on when Long Island was dotted with potato fields and the family enjoyed, not trips to Disney World or Europe, but summer vacations at a small beach cottage in Mastic Beach owned by a cousin. "Simple joys," he said. "He learned that it's not money or material possessions that build meaningful relationships." Instead, Scott added, sharing moments with beloved family created forever memories.

The lessons his father learned early shaped his life, he said.

"Money was tight," Scott said. "My father learned that a penny saved was a penny earned. That's why he drove a 1991 Dodge Charger and cut his own lawn — because it had to be done."

The words, "It needs to be done," were a mantra for his father's life.

"If something needs to be done, you call on a Skrynecki to do it," he said.

In junior high, his father became interested in music, performing with the Blue Glass Illusions, or BGIs, a band with whom he stayed in touch for the rest of his life.

"The members of the band were with my dad, singing to him, moments before he drew his last breath," Scott said.

That experience, and his love of music, taught his father to connect with people, Scott said. Skrynecki carried his love of music with him for decades, performing with the Nassau County Emerald Society Pipes and Drums band, which he was instrumental in founding and with whom Scott also plays.

Scott thanked the band for playing at his father's funeral. While the group is tireless in its dedication, it's harder, and more heartbreaking, to play the familiar "Going Home" when the farewell tribute is performed for one of their own.

But they forge ahead, he said, "Because it needs to be done."

His father, he added, also fell in love with surfing and adored golfing and boating the waters of Long Island. When he was young he had a mail route, and he'd finish and then, head out to surf till the end of the day.

"He worked hard to get the job done before surfing," Scott said. "Hard work and enjoyment were not mutually exclusive. They were equally important."

Skrynecki, his son said, fell in love with his mother as a teenager. The "inseparable" pair were high school sweethearts.

His father later married his mother and, after working for the U.S. Postal Service, joined the Nassau County Police Department, where he served for 47 years before taking the position as chief of the Southampton Town Police Department.

"He cut off his long brown hair — Billy Mack cut his hair then, and he cut his hair until last month — becaue it needed to be done," in order to join the force, Scott said.

He and Scott's mother bought a home in Centereach, a long commute, Scott said. "But it needed to be done."

When his mother Jean was just 26 years old, she was diagnosed with cancer and died at 27 in 1980, Scott said.

"My dad was 27 years old, a police officer, burying and mourning the love of his life — and raising a 2-year-old boy," Scott said. "If I tell you no more than that about my dad, the fact that I stand here before you, a happy man, tells you everything about my father. He dispelled the sadness to do what needed to be done."

Choosing to raise his son with happiness, Skrynecki later married his second wife Patricia, who gave birth to his sister Kathryn, before the pair divorced. Later, Scott said, his father met the woman who stood by him until the last day of his life, his partner Marianne; he raised her son Kevin as his own, Scott said.

"We all rose to our challenges and lived happy lives — because it needed to be done," Scott said.

Their home, Scott said, "was filled with love." The bond between Kathryn and their father "transcended the earthly world," Scott said.

The whole family enjoyed spending time at their Sag Harbor home, he said.

"People would ask, 'When is your dad going to retire?' not knowing work was what he enjoyed doing," Scott said. "He was like a shark — he needed to keep moving."

Skrynecki was diagnosed with cancer in March, he said, a rare cancer that they initially thought was mild but which "turned deadly with the speed of a freight train."

Despite his diagnosis, Skrynecki remained positive.

"He was fighting for his life as a warrior, because it had to be done," Scott said. "But this disease was so strong, he could not survive. The cancer had to be stronger than him — because he was the strongest man on earth."

Skrynecki quoted President Theodore Roosevelt's speech, "The Man in the Arena," describing his father as strong and valiant.

"His is not a sad story," he said. "It's a story of triumph."

Despite his father's death, Scott said he believes he will be with him forever, to lean on. "He lives on in us," he said. "If you call on him, he will answer."

Scott told those gathered to shower the ones they cared about with love. "Thank you for letting me tell you about this great man," Scott said. "May he rest in peace."

Those gathered at the church applauded.

As light poured through the stained glass, Father Joseph D'Angelo — who concelebrated the mass with Father Gerald Gordon of St. Martin of Tours — delivered the homily for Skrynecki, a man he said had become a friend since the days when he met him, while he was serving as the chaplain for the Nassau County Police Department.

Throughout Skrynecki's "long and distinguished career," the pair maintained a connection, D'Angelo said.

"I got a glimpse of the spiritual side of the man you call 'Chief,'" he said. "Steve was a true man of faith, a believer."

As Skrynecki's spiritual confidante, D'Angelo said his death was a personal loss.

"One day a few years ago at a police funeral, he said to me, 'When the time comes, I want you to do my funeral mass,'" D'Angelo said. Smiling, he added, "I'm not sure if that was a direct order." The crowd laughed.

Becoming somber, he added: "At the time, I told him, 'We have many more years to worry about that,'" he said. "Alas, here we are."

Although Skrynecki was not Catholic — he was baptized Episcopalian and confirmed Methodist — he attended Catholic church and had a lifelong goal of converting.

When he became sick, he told D'Angelo, "Let's move on with the plan."

On Aug. 12, D'Angelo said, "I was honored and proud to receive him into full community," as Skryneck became a member of the Catholic church during a ceremony at his home.

"I believe that spiritual occurrence helped him to face the difficult road yet to endure with a renewed sense of hope," D'Angelo said.

Of his illeness, D'Angelo said Skrynecki was determined to beat cancer, "if it was God's will. And if not, he was prepared for the alternative. His steadfast trust in God was inspiring to me."

Describing his dear friend, D'Angelo said while "words and superlatives" fail to fully describe Skrynecki, he was an innovator and collaborator, a statesman and general, a man who wasn't shy about seeking solutions but who found them through peace and equity.

"Beneath those gold stars he wore so proudly on his shoulders, he loved being a cop," D'Angelo said.

Skrynecki, he said, is "now on his journey into eternal life."

Also in attendance were NYPD Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, Southampton Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman and Southampton Town Councilman Tommy John Schiavoni.

Others whose lives Skrynecki touched also attended. Lisa Votino, a human rights advocate who has organized many rallies and marches for justice, was in tears.

"He was my biggest ally, a mentor and most of all a friend," she said.

As the funeral ended, a flyover took place, a fitting tribute to a man who lived his life to serve others and keep them safe.

The street was lined by scores of Nassau County and Southampton Town Police.

Southampton Town Police, who attended the funeral in force, issued a statement last week. "The loss of such an honorable and respected officer will be felt across law enforcement from New York City to the East End of Long Island. He dedicated himself to the profession while imparting his vast experience and knowledge to the people who worked alongside him. Chief Skrynecki strived to make his communities a safer place for residents and visitors alike. Chief Skrynecki will be missed by not only the residents of Southampton, Southampton Town Police, and Nassau County Police but by the many people he touched throughout his 47 years of service. Please keep the Skrynecki family in your prayers."

Others mourned his loss: "He was a true professional, always moving law enforcement forward, and always focused on community safety while never losing sight of the needs of the officers," said East Hampton Town Police Chief Michael Sarlo. "His passion for policing was unparalleled, and we will miss his insight and support. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family during this difficult time."

Drew Scott, a longtime news anchor who served with Skrynecki on the Southampton Town Opioid Addiction Task force, reflected on a man who touched so many lives. "He was a tremendous comfort to my family after the death of my granddaughter Hallie Rae. He was caring and kind to all he met, and a true professional who loved his job. We will miss Steve on the committee for his guidance and knowledge of the law.”

Skrynecki was hired as police chief in Southampton in 2016.

Schneiderman said at the time he was hired that Skrynecki, was a "highly decorated and respected law enforcement officer. We are thrilled that he's accepted our offer. I think he'll be a tremendous leader for our police department."

Skrynecki, he said, also served in a plethora of other positions with the Nassau County Police Department, including chief of detectives, commanding officer in internal affairs, narcotics/vice squad, robbery and vehicle theft squads, and the Second Precinct.

Nassau County Executive Bruce A. Blakeman and Commissioner of Police Patrick J. Ryder expressed their deep sorrow at "the untimely death of retired Nassau County Police Department, four-star Chief of Department Skrynecki.

Skrynecki began his 43-year law enforcement career with the Nassau County Police Department on July 12, 1974 as a recruit and steadily rose through the ranks of police officer, detective, sergeant, detective sergeant, lieutenant, detective lieutenant, captain, detective captain, deputy inspector, inspector, deputy chief, assistant chief, chief of detectives and the department's highest-ranking uniformed officer, chief of department, Blakeman and Ryder said.

The chief was also appointed to many specialized units and designations due to his experience, expertise, and dedication, including chief hostage negotiator, commanding officer of the narcotics vice bureau, internal affairs, robbery squad, and numerous precinct squads. He was also a decorated officer that was awarded numerous medals with the highest being the Medal of Distinguished Service for bravery, both said.

He was also a member of many other fraternal and law enforcement organizations within and outside of the police department, they said, adding that his "most beloved" organization was the Nassau County Police Emerald Society Pipes and Drums, where he was the founder and had been the lead drummer for the past 48 years. He was also a supporter of the Holy Name Society, Municipal Chiefs Association, and was a past graduate of the FBI Academy.

"The chief was always known for his tireless 24/7 work ethic and his ability to balance the many demands of the job and taking care of his family. Often the chief would be the first at work and the last to leave," they said.

"Chief Skrynecki will always be known for his many leadership qualities, which contributed to his various promotions. The chief retired from the Nassau County Police Department in 2017, after he was offered the job as chief of the Southampton Police Department. What quickly became Nassau’s loss was Southampton’s gain, due to the chief’s expertise in police management, his ability to collaborate with other law enforcement agencies, and the trust he gained with communities and residents along the way. Our hearts, prayers and condolences go out to the entire Skrynecki family and their friends, the Nassau County Police Department and the Southampton Police Department during our shared time of grief," Blakeman and Ryder said.

Added Blakeman: “Steve Skrynecki was the consummate law enforcement professional who served Nassau County with great distinction, culminating in his leadership as Chief of Department in the Nassau County Police Department, the highest uniformed position. The region has lost a great leader and I have lost a dear friend.”

Ryder also added: “We go back a long way and had many conversations about how proud Steve was of his son Scott, who is a detective sergeant on our job and his daughter Kathryn."
Skrynecki, Ryder, added, loved playing drums in the pipe band. "It was so special that he and his son Scott were able to play in the band together as Scott was also a drummer. This man will be sorely missed for his dedication to law enforcement and even more missed by many others, as he was so dedicated to his family and friends. My condolences go out to all.”

In addition, Skrynecki served in a security capacity at the presidential debate in 2016.Skrynecki replaced Southampton Town Police Chief Robert Pearce, who announced his retirement in 2016.

Interment followed at the Pinelawn Memorial Park and Arboretum, located at 2030 Wellwood Avenue in Farmingdale.