Family IDs Army vet found dead — buried in snow — in Deer Park after blizzard

The family of a six-year U.S. Army veteran found dead in the snow outside his Deer Park apartment during last week’s blizzard has publicly identified him as Mark Curtis, saying they learned of his death by recognizing his address in a news report.

Shovelers found Curtis, 64, covered in snow on the afternoon of Feb. 23, at the tail end of the two-day storm that pounded Long Island, outside his residence at 7 Park Center Drive. Police have not officially released his name.

His older sister, Paula Cella of Amityville, told Greater Long Island on Monday that she confirmed his identity Tuesday with a Suffolk County Police detective after contacting the department herself.

“They never called me,” Cella, 68, said. “I saw the news Monday night, and as soon as they said the address, I just knew. I knew it was my brother.”

Cella said Curtis had been staying with her in the days leading up to the storm but left Sunday, shortly before the snow began falling. By Monday night, when she hadn’t hear from him since he left her home and reports surfaced of a man found dead in the snow at his apartment complex, she said she felt a “pit in my stomach.”

“I was praying I was wrong,” she said. “But in my heart, I knew.”

Curtis served six years in the U.S. Army, achieving the rank of sergeant and was stationed in Augsburg, Germany, during his time in service, according to his family. After returning home, he struggled with mental health and phyiscal disabilities but remained, his sister said, “a loving brother and uncle” who was known for his generosity.

“He would give you the shirt off his back,” Cella said. “He had such a good heart.”

In recent weeks, Curtis had faced legal troubles stemming from a volatile relationship. Court records show that Curtis and a woman Cella said he had been involved with in recent months were each charged with criminal contempt for violating orders of protection.

Cella detailed that the relationship left her brother fearful and unstable in the days before his death.

In its most recent update on the man’s death, Suffolk Police said last week that the cause of death will be determined during an autopsy by the county medical examiner’s office. Detectives said then that they believed the cause of death to be non-criminal.

Cella said she has not received updates about the status of her brother’s personal belongings, including his cellphone, and continues to reach out to investigators for information.

“I just want answers,” she said.

As the investigation continues, Curtis’ family is grappling with how to lay him to rest.

“It is with profound sadness and shock that we found out that my best friend’s brother Mark Curtis was found outside his residence covered in snow the day after the February 2026 blizzard,” the campaign reads in part. “Mark was a loving brother and uncle, always trying to help anyone in need.”

Cella said the family had hoped to arrange a full military funeral but were told it would not be covered because Curtis did not serve during wartime. They are now planning for cremation, with the hope of having his remains placed in a crypt at a veterans cemetery so that he can receive military honors, including a flag.

“He was proud of his service,” she said. “He always talked about having the flag with him when he died. That meant everything to him.”

Curtis was not married and is survived by his two sisters, Cella and Helen Grennan of North Carolina, and several nieces and nephews.

Beyond funeral expenses, the family has discussed creating a fund in Curtis’ memory to help veterans who face gaps in benefits while awaiting approval or renewal of services — something they say he experienced. Cella’s daughter Alexandra Manfre, a licensed social worker who counsels veterans, has promised to help facilitate the fund.

For now, Cella said she is focused on honoring her brother and pressing for clarity about what happened.

“I just want the truth,” she said. “And I want him to be remembered for the good man he was.”

_{Top: U.S. Army veteran Mark Curtis escorts his niece Alexandra Manfre down the aisle at her wedding 2022 (courtesy of Curtis’ family).}