A New York Police Department sergeant who never took a sick day in his 42-year career has died weeks shy of his retirement. Sgt Francis 'Buddy' Murnane was just weeks away from his 63rd birthday when he died on Sunday after an apparent heart attack at his home on Staten Island. The NYPD said Murnane was the department's longest-serving active officer. 'He wasn't just my big brother,' said Terence Murnane, a retired NYPD detective. 'He was my best friend.' Sgt Francis 'Buddy' Murnane (right) was just weeks away from his 63rd birthday when he died on Sunday after an apparent heart attack at his home on Staten Island. He joined the NYPD in 1973 - and had not taken one sick day (pictured left in the 1980s) He added: 'He was also the person I went to whenever I was stumped on a case because he had seen and done it all so many times. He always knew the answer.' Murnane worked on nearly every major case in the last 20 years, including the 2011 killing of Brooklyn Officer Peter Figoski and the fatal stabbing of a six-year-old boy in an elevator last summer in east New York. 'If you are the bad guy, the worst of the worst ... Buddy Murnane has been part of the team looking for you to bring you to justice,' then-Councilman James Oddo said at a 2010 City Hall ceremony, according to the Staten Island Advance. 'He has truly put community, city and country above all.' His wake is being held on Wednesday at the Colonial Funeral Home. His funeral is Thursday. He would have reached mandatory retirement age on April 30, his 63rd birthday. The highly regarded sergeant joined the New York City Housing Police Department on September 17, 1973. He served most recently in the Detective Bureau’s Major Case Squad. He was promoted to Detective in December 1981 and to Sergeant Detective Supervisor in June 1995. A Police Combat Cross recipient, Sergeant Murnane, affectionately know to his friends as Buddy, was also honored 13 times for Excellent Police Duty and five times for Meritorious Police Duty. He is survived by his wife Linda, son Robert, daughter Kim and four granddaughters – Emily, Kaitlyn, Allison and Riley Frances. The distinguished NYPD sergeant and his wife Linda pictured with their new granddaughter earlier this month. Murnane passed away at his family home on Sunday .
Sgt Francis 'Buddy' Murnane was weeks away from his 63rd birthday when he died suddenly on Sunday at his home on Staten Island . His brother,Terence Murnane, a retired NYPD detective, said: 'He was my best friend... He always knew the answer'
Murnane worked on nearly every major case in the last 20 years, including the 2011 killing of Brooklyn Officer Peter Figoski .