NYPD Probationary Officer Edgar Ordonez remembered at funeral as dedicated father who hoped to make his children proud
NEW YORK -- NYPD Probationary Officer Edgar Ordonez was laid to rest Thursday in the Bronx.
The 33-year-old recruit died last Wednesday after he collapsed during outdoor training at the police shooting range in the Bronx. The medical examiner's office is working to determine whether his death was heat-related.
His funeral was held at the Church of St. Anselm on Tinton Avenue in the Bronx.
"An immigrant from Honduras decide to put on the police uniform and understand that the prerequisite to our prosperity as a city and a country is public safety," Mayor Eric Adams said during the service, adding that every picture shows Ordonez smiling.
"He was a father first. He wanted to do this to get his kids in a better position. He wanted to make a difference," Police Academy Deputy Chief Commander Amir Yakatally said.
Another speaker noted Ordonez participated in the Police Athletic League in the 41st Precinct in the Bronx, where his dream to become an officer started.
"Edgar was also known as a jokester and could make anyone laugh," a cousin said.
A letter he wrote about why he wanted to be a police officer was also read during the service. He wrote, in part, that he wanted to be a hero for his kids, to make them proud and make sure they knew he did his best.
He leaves behind two children, a set of twins.
Ordonez was just days away from graduation
Ordonez died with just days to go before graduating from the Police Academy. A moment of silence was held in his memory during the graduation ceremony this week at Madison Square Garden.
"These cadets are experiencing loss right out of the academy. They know in the back of their head what the consequences could be of this job, but they're experiencing it immediately," volunteer Meagan Fox said.
NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban spoke about Ordonez's dedication and his ability to lift people's spirits.
"Edgar was taken far too soon, before we knew the difference he was about to make in our city," he said. "He joined this department to change people's lives for the better, and for all who knew him, he did exactly that."
The commissioner encouraged the department's newest officers to keep Ordonez's spirit with them.
"So as you go out each day to finish the work that he started, remember him and know that Edgar will always be watching over his brothers and sisters in blue," said Caban.
Adams made sure to greet Ordonez's family at the graduation.
"Coming from a law enforcement family, I know the pain that one feels, and I just wanted to share with them in a very real way of how much his loss impacted us all," the mayor said.