Roll of Honor
Incident
Lieutenant Robert Van Zeyl died from complications as the result of contracting COVID-19 in the line of duty.
Lieutenant Van Zeyl had served with the Suffolk County Police Department for almost 36 years and was assigned to the 2nd Precinct.
COVID-19 and Law Enforcement
Lieutenant Robert John Van Zeyl died on January 20, 2021 of COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty. He was 60.
He is one of 884 officers honored here.
Beginning in early 2020, law enforcement officers across the country contracted COVID-19 in the course of their duties. While much of the nation sheltered at home, they kept answering calls, making arrests, transporting prisoners, and working face to face with the public. There was no distance to be had from the job.
Corrections officers were hit hardest. Confined facilities and large populations meant constant, close, unavoidable exposure.
Survivors
He is survived by his two children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-NY-399E0DEC- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
The country locked its doors. You kept working.
Lieutenant Van Zeyl gave the Suffolk County Police Department 35 years.
Thank you for your service to the Yaphank community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Lieutenant Van Zeyl.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Lieutenant Robert John Van Zeyl is one of 2,974 officers lost to illness connected to their service across the full record of this memorial — 9.1% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In NY, 629 of 2,147 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 29.3% of this state's fallen. That is 20.2 percentage points above the national rate of 9.1%.
At Suffolk County Police Department, 7 of 27 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 25.9% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Robert John Van Zeyl's cause is highlighted.
How Robert John Van Zeyl Compares
When Illness Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. Robert John Van Zeyl is highlighted in Jan.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
26 officers from Suffolk County Police Department are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
