Charity to pay off mortgage for family of fallen Jersey City Detective Joseph Seals

Show Caption Hide Caption 'What we can confirm' according to Attorney General Grewal 'What we can confirm' according to Attorney General Grewal.

The wife and five children of Joseph Seals, the Jersey City detective killed during a deadly shootout Tuesday, will have at least one burden eased after his death, as a charity for first responders will pay off the mortgage of their home.

The Tunnel to Towers Foundation, which assists first responders and their families, announced their plans to pay for the mortgage on the North Arlington home on Thursday night. Tunnel to Towers representatives formally announced their plans alongside Mayor Steve Fulop at the City Hall council chambers Friday morning.

Frank Stiller, the CEO and Chairman of the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, created in honor of his brother Stephen, a New York City firefighter who died on 9/11, said that the foundation will pay off the mortgage for Seals' home by Christmas.

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"We need to give them that piece of mind that God forbid something like this happens, they don't have to worry about the mortgage, they're never going to have to move out of their house where their dreams, where they making their dreams raising five kids," Stiller said. "Five kids he leaves behind. You know what, they're going have the house. That's one less thing to worry about."

Seals' cousin, Justin Smith, who grew up with him when they both lived in the Jersey City Heights and then in Bayonne, thanked Stiller for the gesture by Tunnel to Towers and said that Seals' wife said she was "overwhelmed."

"You couldn't ask for something better than this," Stiller said.

Stiller also announced that the foundation going forward will pay off the mortgages of every police officer across the country shot in the line of duty, which he later said was a $50 million effort. Stiller did not say the amount left on Seals' mortgage, only that it was "substantial."

He also asked for the public to donate for the mortgage payoff effort at tunnel2towers.org.

The Greenville section of Jersey City was the site of barrages of gunfire between law enforcement and two shooters, David N. Anderson and Francine Graham, as shots rang through the air for about two hours on Tuesday before the duo was killed. Seals, a 15-year veteran, was killed at Bayview Cemetery in the buildup to the shootout, which occurred at a kosher supermarket where three civilians lost their lives.

Seals lived in North Arlington with his wife and five children, where they were frequently seen walking around town with their family dog. Neighbors and local business owners alike remembered Seals as modest, quiet and low-key.

Over $420,000 has been raised as of Friday afternoon for Seals on an official GoFundMe page, with several local businesses offering to take donations for the family as well.

Barstool Sports also announced a fundraiser for the family. It is selling Jersey City Police t-shirts and says "100% of net proceeds will benefit the family of Detective Joseph Seals." The shirts are being sold through the Barstool Store online.

A funeral Mass will be held on Tuesday at 10 a.m. at St. Aedan's Church at 800 Bergen Ave. in Jersey City.

Anthony Zurita is a breaking news reporter for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to all the major news happening in North Jersey, subscribe here. To get breaking news directly to your inbox, sign up for our newsletter.

Email: zuritaa@northjersey.com Twitter: @AnthonyRZurita