The Officers and members of the County Cork B. P.& P. Association sadly mourn the passing of our highly respected past president, John Stephen “Sean” Driscoll. Sean died at his home in Cedarhurst on Sunday, March 22, 2026 surrounded by his devoted family. He would have celebrated his 99th birthday on June 7.
Born and raised in Lisheen, Skibbereen, Sean was one of nine children, the third son of John Stephen and Hannah (Fitzgerald) O’Driscoll. In 1948 Sean left his native home and sailed from Cobh on the RMS Mauritania to New York to seek “fame and fortune."
In New York he met and married his beloved wife Mary (Giblin) of Glenamaddy, Co. Galway. They were happily married for sixty-seven years until Mary’s passing on January 27, 2019.
Sean served his adopted country during the Korean War, attaining the rank of Sergeant and earning several awards including the Combat Infantry Award. In 1955, he began a distinguished career with the New York City Police Department.
As a Police Officer, he served in the 79th and 70th Precincts, protecting the streets of Brooklyn. He was promoted to Sergeant in 1966 and stationed in the 72nd Precinct. Shortly thereafter, Sean was promoted to Lieutenant and worked in the 80th Precinct and Brooklyn North Command.
His talents were recognized by the Police Department, and he was appointed Detective Squad Commander, serving as Commanding Officer of the 109th and 106th Precincts’ Detective Squads. In this role, he supervised numerous successful investigations and retired from the NYPD in 1989 after an exemplary career.
Sean was a loyal and dedicated member of the County Cork Association for 58 years. He successfully chaired many committees and served as President in 1985 and thereafter served for many years as a Trustee. He was celebrated as Corkman of the Year in 1991 and was honored again in 2018 as a fifty-year member. His many contributions to our organization have been invaluable. We are grateful for Sean’s friendship and leadership in our organization and sincerely thank him for his service to his country, his city and the County Cork Association.
Our heartfelt sympathies are extended to Sean's sons, John and Kevin, and their wives, Phylis and Linda, during this difficult time. We also offer our deepest condolences to his cherished grandchildren: Kerri, Sean, James, Brian, and Danny. The loss is also felt by his seven great-grandchildren—Declan, Liam, Luke, Jack, and Clara Driscoll, along with Killian and Teagan Murphy—who will remember Sean with love and admiration.
Our sincerest sympathies are shared with Sean’s sister, Mae, who, together with many nieces, nephews, grandnieces, grandnephews, and great-grandnieces and nephews, mourns his passing. May it bring comfort to know that Sean is now reunited with his beloved wife, Mary, and his siblings, Florence, Denis, Willie, Paddy, Joe, Mary, and Eileen. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam
Viewing is on Friday, March 27, 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. at Towers Funeral Home, 2681 Long Beach Road Oceanside, NY. Mass of Christian Burial is on Saturday, March 28 at 9:45 a.m St. Joachim's Church, 614 Central Avenue Cedarhurst, NY. Interment at Holy Rood cemetery Westbury, NY.
