Charles Karen, a volunteer with the The Manhasset-Lakeville Fire Department who as  New York City police officer was a first responder on September 11, 2001, died on Nov. 4. He was 46 

Karen was diagnosed with cancer in 2012, and concluded that exposure at the ground zero site was the cause of his disease, Manhasset-Lakevile Fire Chief Christopher Pisani said

“We always tried to meet up and head down there,” Pisani said. “He responded with the NYPD and when he got off his shift he went down with us.” 

Pisani said Karen, who retired from the police force, never complained about his illness.

“You can ask anybody, every time you saw him nobody even thought he was sick, he said. “He was stubborn and he worked hard for his family.”

Karen’s fire company has started a GoFundMe page, The Children of Charles Karen, to raise money for his wife Tina and his two sons — Charles, 9, and Dominic, 4.

“Its pretty much for the kids,” said Pisani. “When he passed away, all his benefits with the city goes right with him.”

The GoFundMe page has set a goal of  raising $100,000.

A fire department press announcing Karen’s death said that he never gave up his fight.

“He never gave up for only one reason, his family,” the release said.

“He was a great friend a good fireman, he loved it,” Pisani said. “I think if he wasn’t a cop, he would’ve been a city fireman. He was taken too soon.”

Karen joined company two of the Manhasset-Lakeville Fire Department in 1991 as a volunteer and stayed active in the department as much as he could, Pisani said.

“Pretty much department wide, he was involved,” Pisani said. “He was involved with the Welfare Committee, early on he was involved in the training committee. He was very active, very into it.”

As commissioner of the Welfare Committee, Karen was in charge of running the department’s fund raises are donation rallies.

“He was one of those guys, straight forward, he’ll do anything for you,” Pisani said. “He was taken too soon.”