Funeral Services Set For Longtime Passaic County Sheriff

WAYNE, NJ — Funeral arrangements have been set for Richard Berdnik, a longtime Passaic County Sheriff, who died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in Clifton on Tuesday.

Visitation will be held on Jan. 30 from 3 to 8 p.m. at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, 381 Grand St. in Paterson. Berdnik's funeral is set for the following day, Jan. 31, at 10 a.m. in the cathedral.

Interment will take place at St. Michael's Cemetery in South Hackensack, the funeral home said.

The Shook Funeral Home in Clifton, which is handling the arrangements, has created a page on its website for residents to post tributes to the longtime county sheriff.

"It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of Passaic County Sheriff Richard H. Berdnik on January 23, 2024. We extend our prayers and condolences to the Berdnik family as well as the citizens of Clifton and all of Passaic County, especially the Passaic County Sheriff's Department and the Clifton Police Department," Shook Funeral Home said.

Those in mourning can also honor Berdnik and his life by planting memorial trees through Shook Funeral Home in Clifton. Those trees are planted in a forest with the greatest need, at the best suitable time, by a team of certified arborists, the funeral home said.

Meanwhile, the investigation into the tragic death of the sheriff continues, although little to no information has been disclosed by the Passaic County Prosecutor's Office.

According to various reports, Berdnik was chatting with reporters at the Turkish restaurant Toros in Clifton before he entered the bathroom around 3:30 p.m.

A gunshot was heard by restaurant customers soon after.

Berdnik is survived by his wife, Monica Berdnik, a pediatric nurse at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Paterson, and their four adult children.

Berdnik, a former 28-year-career Clifton cop, had been county sheriff since 2011 and was reelected in November 2022 for a fifth term.

The Clifton High School graduate also served as commander of the Juvenile Division and the SWAT Team in town, as well as a parishioner and eucharistic minister at Clifton’s St. Andrew’s Church and a fourth-degree member of the Knights of Columbus.

News of Berdnik’s death sparked a flood of statements from the New Jersey State Policemen’s Benevolent Association to Gov. Phil Murphy, who called Berdnik a "close friend."

"Every single day, Sheriff Berdnik earned the trust of his constituents in Passaic County and worked exhaustively to combat criminal activity, modernize the operations of the Sheriff’s Office, and meet the high standard of service we expect from members of law enforcement," Murphy added.

On Wednesday, Presiding Judge Darren Del Sardo of the State Superior Court swore in Executive Undersheriff Gary Giardina as Acting Sheriff in light of Berdnik’s death, according to William Maer, the chief spokesman for the Passaic County Sheriff's Office.