William M. Kelly
Agency patch
Police Officer

William M. Kelly

End of Watch October 3, 2021
Age 59
Tour of Duty 20 yrs
Gender Male

Incident

Police Officer Billy Kelly died as the result of cancer that he developed following his assignment to the search and recovery efforts at the World Trade Center site following the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks.

Officer Kelly had served with the New York City Police Department for 20 years.

September 11, 2001 - The Years After

Police Officer William M. Kelly was assigned to the search and recovery at the World Trade Center site after September 11, 2001. He was 39 years old that fall.

He died on October 3, 2021 - 20 years later - of an illness contracted there. He was 59.

He is one of 600 officers honored here, and one of 451 at New York City Police Department.

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, five children, and grandson.

In Our Keeping

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Stewardship
Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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

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Tributes

You walked into it and it took years to finish the job.
Police Officer Kelly gave the New York City Police Department 20 years.
Thank you for your service to the New York community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Kelly.

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

Agency

Type Police Department
Location New York, NY
Platform Identity nypd.newyork.ny.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch October 3, 2021
Tour of Duty 20 yrs
Age 59
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Illness
Cause Detail 9/11 related illness
Weapon Aircraft; Passenger jet

The Sacrifice · Illness

William 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.

  1. See the roll
  2. See the roll
Compare against
I

Time

In 2021, 564 officers in the United States were lost to illness, more than in any other year.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

William was 59. 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. William had served 20 years; the middle length of service was 20 years.

Age at death
Where he stood among them
Age by years of service
III

When

October holds 14.9% of these deaths in the United States, more than any other month. Sundays: 14.2%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

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
V

His people

New York City Police Department has at least 120 officers remembered here, William among them.

Across the years
VI

Where

Police Officer William M. Kelly

New York City Police Department · End of Watch October 3, 2021

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 63-E

Also Remembered

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial — requiem.nw →

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