Richard J. Lizzano, recently of Naples, FL and Media, PA, passed away on Tuesday evening at home after a 9-month battle with pancreatic cancer. He is survived by his wife of 48 years, Janet (Walters) Lizzano, his daughters, Kristen Mitchell and her husband, Benjamin (of Newtown Square, PA), and Rebecca Barberi and her husband, David (of West Chester, PA). He is also survived by his brother, Carl Lizzano and his wife, Cynthia (of Charleston, SC), sister, Andrea Guttveg and her husband, Ron (of Holiday, FL), foster brother, August Blew (of High Bridge, NJ), along with many nieces and nephews. He is predeceased by his mother, Anna (Lizzano) Holston, his foster parents, Joseph and Leona Nagy, his brother, James Holston, and his foster brother, Benjamin Blew.

Rich was a graduate of Franklin High School in Somerset, NJ and attended Somerset County Community College. He and Janet married in 1978 and shared a vibrant family life raising their two daughters in Howell, NJ. They retired to Naples, FL and maintained a second home in Media, PA where they would spend holidays with their daughters and sons-in-law.

From a young age, all Rich ever wanted to be was a “cop” (as he would say). He served over 40 years protecting the public, first as a police officer at Rutgers University (New Brunswick, NJ), then for over 20 years as a member of the Bradley Beach Police Department (Bradley Beach, NJ), rising from patrolman to Detective Lieutenant. During much of this time he also worked for Sears, heading up its internal security department for the Ocean Township store (formerly in the Seaview Square Mall). After retiring from Bradley Beach PD, Rich went on to work for the New Jersey Enforcement Bureau, investigating administrative violations of state licensure, primarily in the medical field. He expanded many of these investigations into criminal prosecutions by coordinating with law enforcement departments all across the state.

In the final few months of his career with Bradley Beach PD, Rich felt called to volunteer and assist with the rescue efforts following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. He and several others from his department served as support to the members of the New York and Port Authority Police Departments who were working to locate survivors in the rubble of the Twin Towers. He spent a little over 26 hours from September 12 to September 13 setting up and manning an aid station with water, coffee and food for the rescue workers, as well as providing security in the area. It was ultimately this service that led to a pancreatic cancer diagnosis more than 24 years later.

Rich was first and foremost a proud American, whose police service was the hallmark of his extraordinary life. EOW: September 1, 2026.

Memorial services will be held at Marple Presbyterian Church, 105 N. Sproul Road, Broomall, PA on Thursday, September 10, 2026, with visitation beginning at 10:00 am and services to follow at 11:00 am. For those who are unable to attend in person, the service will be live-streamed and can be found at www.twitch.tv/marplepresbyteriandigital.

A police memorial is also being planned to be held in the Bradley Beach, NJ area on November 15, 2026 and further details will be provided when available. Check back for updates.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you consider a donation to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation (t2t.org) in Rich’s honor. Donations can be made at the Foundation’s website or via mail to: Tunnel to Towers Foundation, 2361 Hylan Boulevard, Staten Island, NY 10306 (printable donation forms are also available on the website).