Blood drive in honor of fallen NYPD Det. Anastasios Tsakos, of Greenlawn, set for Tuesday

Anastasios Tsakos was full of life, according to his widow, Irene Tsakos, who remembered him as a respected NYPD officer, a loving husband and a devoted father — a man, she said, who gave his time and money to people in need.

So it makes sense to remember Tsakos, who was fatally struck by a car driven by an intoxicated motorist on the Long Island Expressway in April 2021, with a blood drive that will benefit the injured and the ill, she said.

"This blood drive is a really nice way to celebrate who he was," Irene Tsakos said Friday during an interview at the Queens headquarters of the elite Highway Patrol Unit No. 3. "Giving was part of his nature and I feel like anyone who wants to honor him by giving blood is a wonderful way to celebrate his life and who he was."

The blood drive will be held on Tuesday at two locations that were the anchors of Tsakos’s life: Highway Patrol Unit No. 3’s base in Hollis, from 8 a.m. until 2 a.m., and St. Paraskevi Greek Orthodox Church in Greenlawn, not far from the home Tsakos shared with his wife and their two children.

Irene Tsakos said she talks to the couple’s children, now 10 and 7 years old, every day about their father, a 14-year NYPD veteran who was promoted posthumously to detective.

"We try to do things that he would like," she said, "to help" people, to help our community, be part of it, and try to live a joyful life."

Tsakos and other NYPD officers responded to a crash on the Long Island Expressway ramp to the Clearview Expressway on April 27, 2021, according to the NYPD and Queens prosecutors.

Tsakos was directing traffic near the crash, authorities said, when Jessica Beauvais of Hempstead approached, fatally striking him while driving a 2013 Volkswagen Passat eastbound on the LIE at a high speed, authorities said. Beauvais did not stop or slow down, continuing to drive past several off-ramps before exiting.

Beauvais attempted to flee after she was surrounded by police, and rammed a police car before coming to a full stop, officials said. Her blood alcohol content was nearly double the legal limit of 0.08% in New York State. Officials said she had also smoked marijuana before to the crash.

A Queens jury convicted Beauvais in October 2023 of second-degree manslaughter, second-degree vehicular manslaughter and leaving the scene of an incident. She was sentenced to more than 20 years in prison in February 2024.

There are reminders of Tsakos everywhere at Highway Patrol Unit No. 3’s motorcycle barn off the Grand Central Parkway, including a New York State license plate with his name and his badge number. Dep. Inspector Lee Manuel, the unit’s commanding officer, said officers have had to lean on each other in the year’s after their beloved colleague was killed.

Tsakos, , made nearly 200 arrests during his career, NYPD officials said after his death.

Manuel joined the unit eight months ago and did not work with Tsakos, but he said the deceased officer’s reputation — "phenomenal, dedicated, persistent, always willing to help others" —  larger than life."

Approximately 150 people donated during a blood drive held in Tsakos’ honor last year, and Irene Tsakos hopes to match or top that this year. She said her husband would view the blood drive "with joy, with pride."

"He would be very happy," she added.

CORRECTION: NYPD Det. Anastasios Tsakos was born in the United States. A previous version of this story incorrectly reported his place of birth.