John Kuzyk

On Tuesday August 11, 2009 John Kuzyk crossed the bar. John contributed substantially to the history of Harbor by being a founder of the SCUBA unit. Below is a letter from the units co-founder Arthur Illiano, Jr. detailing some of that history.

Sadly, Johnny Kuzyk, ESS 1, ESS 10, NYCPDSCUBA passed away Tuesday August 11, 2009. Johnny had been in a hospice after being transferred from Plainview Hospital ICU with Chronic lymphocytic leukemia. He was 90 years old and is survived by his wife Tess.

Viewing is at Dalton Funeral Homes, 2786 Hempstead Tpke., Levittown, NY 11756 (516-796-0400) Thursday August 13, 2009 2 – 5 and 7 – 9. Friday August 14, 2009 there will be a 10:00 am mass at St. Bernard’s RC Church, 3100 Hempstead Tpke., Levittown, NY11756. Interment will be at noon at Calverton National Cemetery, 210 Princeton Boulevard, Calverton, NY 11933.

I met Johnny in 1960 when I was transferred from the 2-5 to ESS 10. I came to work one day and was told that there was a guy that heard that I was a SCUBA instructor and wanted to meet me. That was the beginning of a 49 year friendship. We started spear fishing and SCUBA diving together. Johnny lived in Levittown and helped me find my first house. In time, Johnny also became a SCUBA instructor and opened a dive shop in Glen Cove.

Johnny was the rope instructor at the ESD Training School. More than once he would put me in a Morrissey belt, hook me into his and “rescue” me by lowering us from the Triboro toll plaza to Randall’s Island with a ¾” life line, to demonstrate how.

In 1964, (then) Sgt. Lowe of the ESD Training school, Contacted Johnny and me about writing a proposal for a SCUBA unit for the NYCPD. The proposal was submitted and, after an extensive interview, we were called on for some demonstration recoveries. The recoveries were very successful: We accomplished in minutes what previously had taken days of grappling, often unsuccessfully.

With Johnny, I was assigned to Harbor Precinct where we developed a training and procedure manual and reporting forms for a NYCPDSCUBA unit. We were then assigned to the Police Academy where we selected and trained candidates for the NYCPD's first SCUBA team.

I miss Johnny. He was a great human being and a loyal friend.

Arthur Illiano, Jr.