Kathleen Radziunas

New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority Police Sergeant Kathleen Radziunas passed away on April 30, 2025, as a result of cancer that she developed following her assignment to provide transportation to and from the search and recovery efforts at the World Trade Center site following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. 

Officer Radziunas was born in North Haven, Connecticut, to parents, Francis and Catherine Brooks. She was raised there along with her brother, Frank in a loving family. She made lifelong friends in her hometown. She graduated from the University of New Haven with a bachelor’s degree and earned her master’s degree in criminal justice from John Jay College in New York. She joined the first Metropolitan Transportation Authority Police Department Class in 1998. She retired 20 years later, in 2018, as a Sergent assigned to District #8. She was a dedicated member of the MTA PD, and a force to be reckoned with. She was one of the first responders at Ground Zero and was admired by all who worked with her. The contamination in the air at the World Trade Center site caused many rescue personnel to become extremely ill. Officer Radziunas’ death is a solemn reminder of the lasting toll borne by those who responded selflessly in the aftermath of that tragedy. The Kathleen Radziunas Scholarship was established in 2025 by her family and friends to be awarded to a female senior at Branford High School who will be studying law enforcement or related criminal justice disciplines in their future. 

Radziunas met and married her husband, Jason, in 2002 and together they had three children: Jack, Michael, and Jessica. She was a devoted wife and mother and would do anything for her children. She was always present in their lives, teaching through example how to live with strength and perseverance. She had a passion for fashion and was well known for her fancy purses and fabulous shoes. Her children brought her endless joy, and they were blessed to share her spirit and kindness together. 

Police Officer Kathleen Radziunas is survived by her loving husband, Jason, her cherished children, Jack, Michael and Jessica, her parents, Francis and Catherine Brooks, her brother, Frank, and many other loving family members and friends. 

The Tunnel to Towers Foundation has paid off the mortgage on the Radziunas family home through the Fallen First Responder Home Program.