Roger McGovern of Floral Park died Sunday, Jan. 25, after reporting chest pain while volunteering for Our Lady of Victory Church, according to the Floral Park Police Department.
McGovern, 60, was a retired NYPD sergeant and parishioner at Our Lady of Victory.
“He was a true gentleman,” Commissioner Stephen McAllister of the Floral Park Police said. “He was beloved by the whole community. He will be sorely missed.”
“He was actually going to retrieve the shovel when he had his attack,” said Matt Troy, who serves on the parish board. “He was the first one to grab a shovel without being asked.”
McGovern was born on Aug. 15, 1965, and is survived by his beloved wife Finola and daughters Ailish, Leah and Dara, according to the post.
McGovern’s life was defined by service. He worked as an usher and an active member of the Knights of Columbus, according to a Facebook post from his cousin, Brendan McGovern, on Sunday.
“This morning, he was on his way out to shovel and clear paths so others could safely get to church, a quiet act of service that speaks volumes about the kind of person he was, when he suffered a heart attack,” McGovern wrote.
“His presence is indispensable,” Troy said. “Not only his buoyant attitude and his outlook on life, but just the work that he put in.”
Friends described McGovern as a bridge-builder who connected his childhood friends from Queens Village with his new community in Floral Park.
“He always made himself available,” Troy added. “He always had a welcoming way about him.”
Services have been set for later this week. Visitation will be held at Thomas F. Dalton Funeral Homes in Floral Park on Wednesday from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Thursday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Our Lady of Victory held a prayer service for McGovern over Zoom on Sunday night, according to a Facebook post from the church.
A funeral mass will be celebrated on Friday, Jan. 30, at 10:15 a.m. at Our Lady of Victory R.C. Church, followed by burial at the Cemetery of the Holy Rood in Westbury.
