STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Jeremy Claudio, a 34-year-old Stapleton man, is being remembered adoringly by family and friends as a “gentle giant” and as someone who was “everything to everybody,” following his death in a motorcycle crash Saturday afternoon in Clifton.
The eldest of four siblings and 18 cousins, Claudio made Staten Island his home when the family relocated from Brooklyn in 2008.
“He was just loved by so many different people,” his brother, Bernard Gardner, a police officer in Atlanta, told the Advance/SILive.com. “No matter what walks of life they came from, he just was pure.”
A talented athlete, Claudio played softball throughout the city and New Jersey. According to Gardner, his brother was “one of the best softball hitters in New York City,” and his power at the plate earned him a full scholarship to Northern Oklahoma College, where the two brothers attended school.
“He was a beast on the field and teddy bear in real life,” recalled Vincent Miccio, who referred to Claudio as “a character” and reminisced about playing against and together with his close friend on several different softball teams over the years.
“He was just a good dude. Always laughing, always having a good time,” he said.
As a “jack of all trades,” Claudio worked for a Staten Island plumbing company, where his brother said he was deeply valued. “There’s no way they can replace him,’’ he said.
Gardner also noted that Claudio was always ready with a ratchet or a pair of clippers, available as both his personal mechanic and barber.
At 6-feet, 4-inches tall and weighing 275 pounds, Claudio was protective of those he loved, Gardner explained. He served as a father figure to his 5-year-old stepson and was a devoted dad to his two daughters, ages 6 and 9.
In an effort to raise awareness for his younger daughter, who was born without eyesight, Claudio began a fundraising initiative to support visually impaired and blind children.
Along with his 6-year-old daughter — who, according to an obituary, was “his best friend and his shadow,” Claudio made an unexpected 17-hour drive to attend Gardner’s police academy graduation in Atlanta, just days before the crash.
“My last encounter with him was at my graduation,” Gardner said. “He drove from New York all the way to Georgia just to make it there.”
In the months before his death, Claudio had been contacting and visiting old friends and family members.
“It’s ironic that he’s been just reaching out to everybody,” Gardner reflected. “That was his way of not telling us he’s leaving, but saying, ‘See you later.’”
Claudio leaves behind his beloved wife, Christine. The couple were married last year after 10 years together.
“His wife is devastated,” Gardner said. “Things will never be the same for her. She’s a very strong, loving wife, and she loved him, and he loved her, and she’s definitely going to keep his legacy going through his kids.”
In the aftermath of Claudio’s death, Miccio established a GoFundMe to raise funds for funeral arrangements and to set up a trust for the three children. As of this writing, the campaign has raised over $28,500.
Miccio also noted the generosity of several Staten Island businesses, which he said have gone out of their way to accommodate Christine and the rest of Claudio’s family. They include Forest North Funeral Chapel in West Brighton, Resurrection Church on Grymes Hill and Mikey Bagels in Tottenville.
As he prepares to lay his brother to rest, Gardner pointed out that Claudio was a careful and conscientious rider and hopes his loss will raise awareness about motorcycle safety.
“People get their peace of mind riding motorcycles,” he said. “I just really thought my brother was immortal and nothing was ever going to happen to him.”
The fatal collision
According to a preliminary investigation by the NYPD’s Highway Collision Investigation Squad, Claudio’s motorcycle collided with a Toyota Rav4 that was making a U-turn at around 3:11 p.m. Saturday at the intersection of Bay Street and Vanderbilt Avenue.
Claudio was transported by EMS to Richmond University Medical Center in West Brighton, where he was pronounced dead, police said. The driver remained at the scene.
No charges have been filed, and an investigation remains ongoing, an NYPD spokesperson said.
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