Michael Angel Cordero Jr. passed away on Saturday, Nov. 21, 2020, at Cornerstone Hospice in The Villages in Florida at the age of 74.
He was predeceased by his parents Miguel Angel and Florence (Chaves).
Michael is survived by his beloved wife of 50 years, Margaret (Peggy) nee Sullivan of The Villages in Florida; daughter Laura and her husband John Shea of Fairfield, Conn.; daughter Leigh and husband Hirsch Trivedi of River Vale, N.J.; and son Michael and wife Stacy (Kelly) Cordero of Warwick. He also leaves behind seven grandchildren who gave him so much joy: Jack, Connor, Reilly, Kieran, Aidan, Aubrey and Hudson.
Mike will be missed by his brother Gerardo Cordero and wife Lydia of Lompoc, Ccalifornia; sister Juanita Hyland and husband Paul of Chesterfield, Virginia; and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his sister Carmen Dobler.
Michael was born in New York City on Dec. 19, 1945, raised in Chelsea, and attended Cardinal Hayes High School in the Bronx.
In 1965 he enlisted in the U.S. Army as a Military Police Officer, serving the 504th MP Battalion in Pleiku, Vietnam.
Upon returning home he began working for Manhattan Bell Telephone Company. \In 1973 he embarked on a new career as a Police Officer for the NYPD. His career began in the 46 Precinct, then Bronx Tactical Narcotics Taskforce and ended in Bronx Homicide. He served the City of New York for 25 years before retiring in 1998 as a detective.
Mike was a union delegate for much of his career in the Police Benevolent Association and Detectives’ Endowment Association.
He finished his working career as a U.S. Mint Police Office in West Point from 1998 to 2008.
While there he continued to serve his fellow peers as the West Point Mint’s Equal Employment Officer.
During high school, he met the love of his life, Peggy, a fellow Chelsea resident, and the two had their first date on her 17th birthday. They went on to marry on May 9, 1970, in St. Francis Xavier Church in New York.
They raised their first two children in Astoria, Queens, before settling in Monroe. They called Orange County home for 34 years and sent their children to Washingtonville Schools, before retiring to Florida.
Mike was a parishioner of St. Mary’s in Washingtonville and then of St. Vincent de Paul in Wildwood, Florida. He was an active member of NYPD PBA, NYPD DEA, Orange County Shields, NYPD Emerald Society, Disabled American Veterans, Pleiku 504 Reunion Group, American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Chelsea – Greenwich Village Association, as well as a coach in Washingtonville’s Little League and Soccer Clubs.
He loved golf, poker, history, Jeopardy, the NY Mets, the NHL and his family.
In lieu of flowers, a donation in his name can be made to NY Police & Fire Widows’ & Children’s Benefit Fund (www.answerthecall.org).
Memorial services will be determined at a later date.