Dennis Wallace Reichardt of Mattituck died Oct. 4, 2018 at home. He was 64 years old.
He was born January 5, 1954 in Queens to Arthur and Jacqueline (Bingham) Reichardt. The family moved to Bethpage when he was a young boy.
He graduated from Bethpage High School and earned a bachelor’s degree from NYIT.
He started his law enforcement career as a campus police officer at Stony Brook University. On September 27, 1982 he was sworn in as a police officer with the Suffolk County Police Department. He was assigned to the second precinct in Huntington where he served five years and then transferred to the police academy as a recruit instructor. Later in his career, he worked in police headquarters as an investigator in the Applicant Investigation Section. He then went on to serve at the sixth precinct in Coram. While there, he was promoted to the rank of sergeant and was transferred to the fifth precinct in Patchogue. He served several years there until his next assignment at the special patrol bureau — he worked one summer with the marine bureau and in his last assignment, as a sergeant in the emergency service unit where he spent 11 years. On September 11, 2001 he responded to the World Trade Center where he and his team worked in the recovery effort. He proudly served for 29 years as a member of the Suffolk County Police Department and was grateful for the opportunity to work at a job he loved and the honor of serving with so many members of the police family during his career, his family said in a statement. After retirement in July, 2011, he became a school bus driver for Sunrise Bus Company.
In his spare time, he enjoyed spending time with his wife and children the most. He planned many vacations through the years, traveling to St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands and camping at Hither Hills in Montauk — his favorite spot. He always stood behind his family, providing guidance and support as a caring father and husband. His easy-going personality made him well-liked by many, his family said, and he will be missed.
He is survived by his wife of 25 years, Jean, his children Kristopher (Lauren), Adam (Pilar) and Autumn, his grandson Jack Henry, his siblings Carol Caudy, Robert and Jill Bennardo and many loving in-laws, nieces, nephews and dear friends.
The family received friends at the DeFriest-Grattan Funeral Home in Mattituck. The Liturgy of Christian Burial was celebrated at Our Lady of Good Counsel R.C. Church in Mattituck, officiated by Monsignor Joseph W. Staudt. Interment followed at Sacred Heart R.C. Cemetery in Cutchogue.
Memorial donations may be made to the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation or to the FealGood Foundation.