Stations Department Mourns Collecting Agent Eric Irizarry, 61

SEPTEMBER 18 -- Eric Irizarry, a Collecting Agent with 19 years of service with NYC Transit, died on September 15 after suffering a heart attack on his way to work, Division Vice Chair Pedro Rivera said.

Our Union Brother, who worked out of the 14th Street AFC shop, had been out on a three-month leave for health problems but was recently cleared by the MAC to return to duty. But as he was coming to work on Saturday, September 13th, Irizarry got into a fender bender on the FDR Drive at around 5PM, Rivera said. While dealing with the accident paperwork, Irizarry experienced chest pains and collapsed. The driver of the other vehicle called 911, and a City ambulance took the Collecting Agent to Metropolitan Hospital in upper Manhattan where he was admitted, Rivera said. Irizarry died the following Monday.

Rivera remembered Brother Irizarry as “a good worker. He was always joking around. He was somebody you wanted to be around.”

He leaves his wife, Isabel, and her children from another marriage. Rivera has been assisting her with navigating through NYCERS and the MTA BSC to obtain death benefits. The Union has a contractual active duty death benefit of $50,000 and the retirement system provides a death benefit equal to three years’ salary.

Brother Irizarry will be cremated and a memorial service has yet to be scheduled, Rivera said.