Hempstead town councilman Chris Carini remembered at emotional funeral mass

If any message was clear at Hempstead Town Councilman Chris Carini’s funeral Mass on Monday, it was the one conveyed in the words of the Rev. Steven Camp, who said simply, “He was there.”

Carini, a champion of quality-of-life initiatives in Hempstead and the 5th Councilmanic District, was laid to rest following a service at St. William the Abbot Roman Catholic Church in Seaford. The 5th District includes Seaford, Wantagh, and parts of Bellmore, Merrick, Freeport, Point Lookout and Lido Beach.

Hundreds of family members, friends, elected officials and community leaders filled the church to pay their respects to Carini, while dozens of police officers from departments in and around Nassau County ensured that Carini, a retired Port Authority police officer, received a fitting send-off.

The longtime Seaford resident died unexpectedly on July 14, at age 49, while visiting family in Florida.

Carini’s body was flown home from Florida on July 17, and officers from the Port Authority JFK Commissary, at Kennedy Airport, gathered to greet him with love and prayers. Police officers stood on the tarmac as the plane pulled into the gate, and Carini’s casket was removed by officers, while dozens more stood in salute.

When he was back in Nassau County, the Seaford and Wantagh fire departments stretched a huge American flag across Southard Avenue, and the hearse carrying his body drove beneath it.

Monday’s Mass followed two days of wake services at the Charles G. Schmitt Funeral Home in Seaford.

Carini, a Republican, was elected to the Town Board in 2019, after Councilwoman Erin King Sweeney dropped out of the race six weeks before the election. Carini had long been involved with the Wantagh/Seaford Homeowners Association, which often focused on quality-of-life issues. He was re-elected to his second term last November.

In office, Carini spearheaded the town’s Quality of Life Task Force, and was a staunch supporter of law enforcement. He campaigned against bail reform efforts, and directed funding toward the improvements of recreational facilities in his district. He made an effort to attend every town event, Little League opening day, and Eagle Scout or Gold Award ceremony.

And it wasn’t just his job that Carini loved, but his family, too. He is survived by his wife, Danielle, and their two children, Ava and Joey.

Camp, who led the funeral services, said that Carini’s greatest achievement in life was his family. “He cherished them,” Camp said, “and understood how much family meant.”

The day after Carini died, local officials who worked alongside him expressed their sadness. In a statement emailed to the Herald, State Sen. Steve Rhoads described Carini’s energy as “boundless” and his humor as “infectious.”

“I don’t know that I’ve ever met someone who was more passionate or took more enjoyment out of helping his neighbors and trying to make his community better than Chris,” Rhoads said.

Town Councilwoman Missy Miller said Carini was “the epitome of the phrase ‘larger than life.’”

“He was passionate and effective,” Miller wrote on Facebook. “He was the best kind of public servant, selfless.”

At Carini’s wake and funeral, Project Thank A Cop, a group he worked closely with that supports police officers and their families, set up a comfort station for mourners. They handed out water, snacks and baked goods, and had therapy dogs on hand as well to comfort Carini’s family members and friends.

“We are so heartbroken,” group administrators wrote on Facebook.

Camp spoke about how Carini was committed to the communities he served, and, of course, to those who knew him best — his family and friends.

“There’s a lot of turmoil in our society today, and we try to figure it out,” Camp said. “Chris understood all of that turmoil, and he always tried to do his best.”

Those wishing to donate to Carini’s family can do so at GoFund.Me/25067cbb. The family also asked that donations be made to the John Theissen Children’s Foundation, based in Wantagh, in his memory. Go to JTCF.org to donate.

Carini was buried at St. Charles Cemetery in Farmingdale.