In Memory of
Michael Nestor
April 9, 2020
Obituary
NESTOR-Michael, former Inspector General of Port
Authority NY & NJ died on April 9 at the age of 76 from
a brain tumor.
Given six months to live, his fighting spirit helped him
continue leading the IG office daily for five and a half
years. He graduated from the prestigious High School of
Performing Arts where his talent for dance and theatre
led him to become Resident Choreographer of Utah State
University. He performed on Broadway in Man of LaMancha,
West Side Story, Milk & Honey, et al.
Mr. Nestor then joined Law Enforcement and served 27
years for U.S. Customs and retired as Resident Agent in
Charge. In 1997 he joined the Port Authority where from
2014 to January 2020 he was the Inspector General. In
his distinguished 50 year career he served honorably in
both government agencies and was known for his
unwavering integrity and charisma.
On September 11, 2001 he successfully led his employees
on the 77th floor of North Tower to safety before its
collapse. He is also credited with saving a woman's life
by carrying her down stairs to safety. His last minutes
in the tower were recounted in two books, most recently
"The Most Spectacular Restaurant in the World". As a
resident of Hoboken he combined his love of boxing with
philanthropic work with his friend Mark Settembre and
the legendary boxer Gerry Cooney. They created annual
Fight Night events raising over a Million dollars for
Youth Consultation Service (YCS) and Hoboken Hospital.
Michael is survived by his loving wife Elayne, his
children Brandt and Shaina, his sister Irene and
grandchildren Ava and Ronan. He was dedicated to his
family, friends and employees and a role model who
touched and supported many lives.
Published in The New York Times on
Apr. 19, 2020