Riverhead veteran Jared Hazzard remembered for a life of service

Jared Hazzard was a man of few words, but he never needed many to show people he cared. If someone needed help — whether it was a family member, friend, fellow service member or stranger — he was the kind of person who simply showed up, often quietly and without ever telling anyone what he had done.

A military service member, firefighter, master plumber, husband and father, he built his life around serving others before his death on July 31. He was 46. 

Those who knew him described him as reserved and soft-spoken, but always willing to help.

“He was always looking for ways to help other people,” said his wife, Johana Tovar. “He was generous and would help people with money, with work or with whatever they needed. He never said no. He would help people and never tell anybody that he did it.” 

Despite his military service and time with the New York Air National Guard’s 106th Rescue Wing, his family was at the center of his life. Mr. Hazzard was a big part of Ms. Tovar’s 12-year-old son Samuel’s life, said Mr. Hazzard’s sister Rebecca Hazzard.

“He’s raised that child since they’ve been together (since 2020), and that’s the only father he knows,” she said. “He took that on and he knew that.”

“Samuel was extremely important to him,” Ms. Tovar added. “Samuel was so proud of him. Jared would go to school for his report cards and school events, bring cupcakes, brownies and cookies, and even talk to Samuel’s classmates about the military. Samuel was so proud to have him as his dad.” 

In 2020, Mr. Hazzard and Ms. Tovar met at the military base, where her friend told her he was the only single guy there. He sent Ms. Tovar a picture of himself, and she thought he was very handsome. Due to the language barrier, the two communicated through a translator. After just a couple of months of talking, Mr. Hazzard proposed.

“After he proposed, he went to Africa for six months, and that was the first time we had been separated,” Ms. Tovar said. “We talked every single day while he was gone. That’s when I realized how much I loved him. He was a gentleman. I felt like I had everything in my life with him.” 

Ms. Tovar said she frequently cleaned the house with Fabuloso, which Mr. Hazzard hated because he didn’t like the smell. He would go back to the base and complain to his friends about it. Over time, the two figured things out and got better at communicating.

Mr. Hazzard and his family grew up in Riverhead. He was the youngest of three siblings. The family was very close both in the relationships and their age. Rebecca is 49, Helene is 48 and Mr. Hazzard would’ve turned 47 this month.

“We all went to high school together,” Ms. Hazzard said. “We all went to parties. We had our own circles, but we were so close in age that we were all together.”

“He was the best son a father could have,” said Mr. Hazzard’s father, Bob. 

The longtime soldier also had two close cousins, Elizabeth, known as Lizzie, and Sonny. Rebecca said Lizzie went into the Air Force because of Mr. Hazzard. 

Mr. Hazzard enlisted in the United States Navy in September 1998, serving as a Master Update Authority Supervisor at the Naval Computer and Telecommunications Area Master Station Pacific in Hawaii and advancing to Information Systems assistant command duty officer.

Senior Master Sergeant Derek Morrison met Mr. Hazzard in 2015 and said he admired his resilience, reliability and genuine investment in developing younger airmen.

“He was able to approach stressful situations, especially during our deployments, with a calm, professional demeanor,” Mr. Morrison said. “I adopted that trait as I progressed through the ranks during my own career.” 

He earned numerous military honors during his career, including the Navy Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Inherent Resolve Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary and Service medals, Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal and Air Reserve Forces Meritorious Service Medal.

“During our deployment to Kenya, he led a team of Airmen to literally build our rescue work center from the ground up using his construction skills and knowledge,” Mr. Morrison said. “Watching that really stuck out to me the most.”

His promotions included petty officer first class in the Navy in 2006, technical sergeant in 2020 and master sergeant in 2023.

“He was a hero,” Ms. Hazzard said.