NYPD Officer Steven Brandow was always there for his family, his neighbors and his country.
Brandow, 56, who battled COVID-19 and died in February, spent a month at Ground Zero after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
He worked to help recover victims at what became known as “the pile,” then went on to undergo Hazmat training, and spent more than a year working in lower Manhattan.
On Saturday, dozens of his neighbors, friends and family gathered in his Oceanside neighborhood, at the corner of West Henrietta and Fulton avenues, where a new street sign was unveiled by Hempstead Town officials renaming the stretch of Henrietta as Steven E. Brandow Avenue.
“It’s only fitting we say thank you with this street renaming,” Hempstead Town Supervisor Don Clavin said.
“What happened 20 years ago is nothing we’ve ever seen before, and I remember the men and women who left their homes to look for friends, colleagues and strangers. That was your husband and father,” Clavin said, speaking to Brandow’s family. “It is his legacy he lived for decades, what he has done for our community and our nation.”
Brandow grew up in Rosedale, Queens, and started his NYPD career in the 1980s in the Bronx, at “Fort Apache” in the 41st Precinct, in the patrol and street narcotics unit. He went on to the 115th Precinct in Flushing as part of the Queens North Task Force. He was recognized with the Cop of the Year award.
He met his wife, Gladys, in 2002. She spoke Saturday wearing a heart necklace and his wedding ring around her neck. She said Brandow turned into a family man, leaving behind his bachelor lifestyle in Long Beach. They married two years later.
“He was strong and tough as nails. Loyal and old school. Charming and silly, he had the gift of gab and was larger than life,” she said.
“The day I met Steven, I was hooked. I saw him in his blue uniform, which complemented his blue eyes, and I was smitten,” she said. “Not only do we recognize the achievements of a police officer, but we also pay tribute to a man who always continued to serve.”
Brandow retired in 2006 and the couple had a son, Steven.
After Superstorm Sandy, Brandow worked to help his Oceanside neighbors recover from the storm and advocated to bring natural gas to each homeowner on his street. He was a fervent New York Giants fan, hockey player, skier and fisherman.
His son, now 15, said he hoped his father’s passing would bring more awareness to the coronavirus.
“I wish this will bring comfort to those who have been devastated by this abrupt and sudden event,” he said.
“Despite the sad feeling we still have of my father’s passing, let this dedication, let his memory linger in our community … for years to come.”
