Retired NYPD Sergeant Dies After Collapsing While Shoveling Snow for Floral Park Church [WATCH]

A Long Island community is mourning the loss of a retired New York City police officer who died after collapsing while shoveling snow to help fellow churchgoers during a powerful winter storm that battered the Northeast last weekend, as reported by The New York Post.

Roger McGovern, a 60-year-old retired NYPD sergeant, collapsed Sunday while clearing snow outside Our Lady of Victory Church in Floral Park, according to local reports.

McGovern was attempting to shovel walkways so parishioners could safely attend Sunday Mass as frigid temperatures and heavy snowfall gripped the region.

OBIT: Retired NYPD Sergeant Roger McGovern, 60, formerly assigned to the Detective Bureau Latent Print Section, died on January 25, 2026, while shoveling snow at Our Lady of Victory church in Floral Park, New York. Known for his service as an usher and member of the Knights of… pic.twitter.com/zB0pkcsX0o

— Blue Lives Matter (@RetiredNYCPD) January 26, 2026

Warning: Account balances and purchasing power no longer tell the same story. Know in 2 minutes if your retirement is working for you.

“They said that he was at church and he had a seizure [and] by the time he got to the hospital, he passed,” friend Kevin Troy told ABC 7.

According to CBS 2, McGovern had walked roughly a mile through bitter cold conditions to reach the church, where he served as both an usher and a member of the Knights of Columbus.

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Troy said McGovern had spoken with the priest shortly before stepping outside to shovel.

“He had spoken to the priest and said that he was going to go out and shovel the sidewalk for the parishioners so they could get in, and before he started shoveling, he had collapsed,” Troy said.

CBS 2 later reported that McGovern suffered a heart attack while shoveling. Emergency responders transported him to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The Sergeants Benevolent Association confirmed McGovern’s death in a social media post, highlighting his continued service even after retiring from law enforcement.

“After a career spent in service to this city, Sergeant McGovern passed away while helping his community during the recent snowstorm. His dedication to others did not end with his retirement,” the union wrote.

McGovern retired from the New York City Police Department in 2008, the department confirmed to Fox News Digital.

He had spent decades in law enforcement before stepping away from active duty but remained closely involved in his local community.

Our Lady of Victory Church did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

SNOW TRAGEDY: A community is in mourning after a retired NYPD officer died while shoveling snow at Our Lady of Victory church in Floral Park during the snowstorm.

Roger McGovern was 60 years old and no cause of death has been given.

READ MORE: https://t.co/nS6zzAzwmX pic.twitter.com/wl1KsMai9s

— News12LI (@News12LI) January 26, 2026

McGovern’s death came as a massive winter storm left a trail of fatalities and disruptions across the Northeast and beyond.

New York City officials reported at least eight storm-related deaths linked to freezing temperatures and hazardous conditions. Some neighborhoods recorded between 8 and 15 inches of snow, according to FOX 8.

Nationwide, the storm proved even deadlier. As of Tuesday, at least 36 deaths across 14 states had been attributed to the severe winter weather system that swept through large portions of the country over the weekend.

Local residents described McGovern as a familiar and dependable presence at the Floral Park church, where he regularly volunteered his time.

Friends said his decision to shovel snow despite the harsh conditions reflected the same sense of duty that defined his law enforcement career.

McGovern is survived by family and a community that remembered him as someone who continued serving others long after turning in his badge.

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