MORRIS COUNTY — When a man casts as imposing a shadow as retired New Jersey State Police Lt. Kevin Joseph Hanrahan, 61, his sudden and unexpected loss is felt as deeply as it is widely.
Shock mixed with profound sadness as word spread that a heart attack cut down a man who was known to be as kind as he was powerful.
Born in Paterson, Kevin had been a lifelong resident of Hawthorne. He served with distinction for 32 years in the New Jersey State Police, retiring as a Lieutenant assigned to Command of the Marine Services Bureau. Prior to that, Kevin also served for two years in the Passaic County Park Police in the Mounted Unit.
Hanrahan was headed to his son’s house in his 2020 Dodge Ram 1500 when he was stricken on Route 287 in Morris County around 9:00 p.m. Wednesday, September 27.
The dashcam shows the vehicle slowing to a stop as it rolled off the pavement before coming to rest at a metal guardrail.
Emergency responders furiously tried to revive the beloved veteran lawman all the way to Morristown Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
Hanrahan was enjoying retirement, living part-time in Jupiter, FL, his son, Kevin, said. He regularly lifted weights and ran miles.
It just made his sudden death that much more shocking.
The pain was felt not just in Hanrahan’s Hawthorne hometown, which he never left. It also spread through the ranks of current and retired officers of both the state and Passaic County Park police departments and among those across the region.
Kevin enjoyed retirement by living part-time in beautiful Jupiter, FL, and was a lifelong fan of the Miami Dolphins. Kevin was survived by his beloved Paulette, son Kevin John Hanrahan and his fiancée Diana of Totowa, and daughter Nichole Hanrahan of Vernon. Kevin was the brother of John, Kelli, and Patricia. He is also survived by his dear nieces and nephews and countless friends. The funeral procession will depart at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, October 5, from the Browning-Forshay Funeral Home, 557 Lafayette Avenue, Hawthorne, for an 11:00 a.m. funeral mass at St. Anthony’s R.C. Church, 276 Diamond Bridge Avenue, Hawthorne. Cremation will take place privately. Friends may visit with the family at the funeral home on Wednesday, October 4 from 2:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Troopers United Foundation, at troopersunited.org please mention “Lt. Kevin Hanrahan”
