Prev Next

Major

Jeffrey A. Burke

New Jersey State Police — West Trenton, NJ

September 11, 2001 → Illness

End of Watch December 31, 2024

Age 51

Tour of Duty 26 yrs

The Vigil Panel 403 · Column 4 · Line 21 ›

Gender Male

Incident Media Service The Sacrifice Memorials 1 Also Remembered Department 83

Incident

Major Jeffrey Burke died as the result of cancer that he developed following his assignment working the bucket brigade and providing security in the area at the World Trade Center site following the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks.

Major Burke had served with the New Jersey State Police for 26 years.

September 11, 2001 - The Years After

Major Jeffrey A. Burke was assigned to the search and recovery at the World Trade Center site after September 11, 2001. He was 28 years old that fall.

He died on December 31, 2024 - 23 years and 3 months later - of an illness contracted there. He was 51.

He is one of 600 officers honored here, and one of 10 at New Jersey State Police.

The most recent of these deaths was October 24, 2025.

Officers who worked the search, rescue, and recovery at the World Trade Center site breathed contaminated air for weeks and months afterward. Many developed cancers and respiratory disease, and they have gone on dying of it ever since.

Seventy-two officers were killed on the morning itself. Hundreds more have died in the years that followed. They are honored here together, because the same attack killed them all. With some it simply took longer.

Survivors

He is survived by his wife and two children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: neuraspine_01krbxtmp55js42t75hd0zs7dc
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: September 26, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

Are you family? This record can be claimed and maintained by those who knew Jeffrey. Claim this record.

Also honored at requiem.nw. One record, 2 gates. Jeffrey is one person.

This page is permanent and free. No fee to view it, no advertising, no tracking, and no account required. It will not be taken down.

Tributes

You walked into it and it took years to finish the job.
Major Burke gave the New Jersey State Police 26 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of New Jersey. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Major Burke.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department New Jersey State Police

Type State Police

Location West Trenton, NJ

Platform Identity njsp.nj.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch December 31, 2024

Tour of Duty 26 yrs

Age 51

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Illness

Cause Detail 9/11 related illness

Weapon Aircraft; Passenger jet

The Sacrifice · Illness

Jeffrey is one of 2,028 officers lost to illness in the United States, 7.4% of the 27,552 remembered there.

34,103 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

Compare against

Time

In 2024, 56 officers in the United States were lost to illness, the 6th heaviest of 108 years on record. The heaviest was 2021, with 564.

Every year on record · United States

Who

Jeffrey was 51. Of the 1,996 lost to illness in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 42 and 58; the middle age was 51. Jeffrey had served 26 years; the middle length of service was 20 years.

Age at death

Where he stood among them

Age by years of service

III

When

December holds 9.6% of these deaths in the United States; October holds the most, 14.9%. Tuesdays: 13.3%.

By month

By day of the week

How

Illness deaths account for 7.4% of all 27,552 deaths in the United States, the 3rd most common cause. The weapon recorded was aircraft; passenger jet, in 29.5% of these deaths.

Every cause

Weapons recorded