‘OUR HERO’

Ex-House Rep Joe Crowley Reveals Death of Son, 25

The former New York representative said his son battled a rare and aggressive cancer.

Former New York lawmaker Joe Crowley has lost his 25-year-old son to cancer. Crowley revealed in an X post over the weekend that his son, Cullen, battled desmoplastic small round cell tumor (DSRCT), a rare and aggressive form of cancer in the abdomen and pelvic area, for more than two years. “Cullen had only one option: to fight. And for 2.5 years, he did just that,” Crowley wrote. “He never let the odds define him. Instead, he met each day with the same joy and gratitude for life.” Cullen was a Marine and Naval Academy graduate who served at Quantico until retiring in 2024 due to his cancer diagnosis. “Cullen is our hero. We are endlessly proud of the man he became and feel so blessed to call him ours,” Crowley wrote. “The fact that he touched so many lives is an honor we will always cherish.” Crowley represented the Bronx and Queens until Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez toppled him in a shocking 2018 upset.