“I was deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Rosemarie O’Keefe, who died today after a long battle with cancer. My thoughts and prayers go out to her friends and family, including her husband, NYPD and FDNY veteran Bill O’Keefe. While most New Yorkers remember Rosemarie as Mayor Giuliani’s dedicated and tireless Commissioner of the Mayor’s Community Assistance Unit, I personally will never forget the help she gave me when I was first starting out in public service. Rosemarie touched the lives of countless New Yorkers, often during our City’s most trying moments and in the aftermath of our most profound tragedies. After September 11th, she established the center to help victims’ families, and worked with extreme care and deep sympathy to make sure everything that could be done was done. Always, she sought out New Yorkers, heard their needs and, with uncommon dedication, acted to improve their lives. Many of us in City Hall and City government traded fond memories about Rosemarie today when we heard of her passing, and I am sure countless others in the communities she helped across this City are doing the same.”