Mourners paid their respects Monday at the wake of a retired NYPD detective from Nanuet who died of cancer.

Robert Williamson, 46, died Sunday after a four-year battle with pancreatic cancer. The husband and father of three was one of the first people to go on disability from Ground Zero-related illnesses. Williamson fought New York City, as part of a class-action lawsuit, in an effort to get 9/11 benefits policies changed.

Friends and relatives remember Williamson as a fighter with a great spirit and a kind heart.

The wake continues Tuesday, May 15, and the funeral is planned for Wednesday, May 16 in Nanuet.

For an interview with Williamson's widow, go to channel 612 on your digital iO cable box and select iO Extra.