Mayor Ed Koch the charismatic and legendary mayor of New York City
On My Walk at Uptown Manhattan’s Trinity Cemetery – The Grave of Mayor Ed Koch
On my walk through Trinity Church Cemetery in Uptown Manhattan, overlooking the Hudson River, I came upon an aged, weathered gate with a newer sign that read: “The Jewish Gate.” Just past that sign, and slightly to the left, I discovered the final resting place of New York City’s 105th mayor, Ed Koch.
The rusty old gate had stood for years, but the sign was only installed after Mayor Koch purchased his burial plot (see photo). In doing so, he made a symbolic point—an openly Jewish public servant choosing to be buried in a Christian cemetery, making space for inclusivity even in death.
Born in The Bronx, Ed’s family later settled in Newark, New Jersey, also home to notables like Shaquille O’Neal, Paul Simon, and Jerry Lewis. After serving overseas in World War II, Koch returned home and earned his law degree from NYU, practicing law largely as a sole practitioner before turning to a life of public service.
A lifelong Democrat, Ed Koch served as a U.S. Congressman before becoming mayor of New York City, a role he held for three terms. His leadership saw the city through both difficult and transformative years. Though he lost in his bid for a fourth term, Koch remained an ever-vocal and often humorous fixture in New York civic life.
Democratic U.S. Congressman, Edward Koch
He lived most of his adult life in Greenwich Village, with his apartment overlooking the endlessly fascinating Washington Square Park—a fitting place for a man who thrived in the city’s energy.
In 2008, Koch purchased the plot I visited, making Trinity Cemetery his final home—the only cemetery in Manhattan still accepting new burials. On his tombstone, he chose to inscribe the famous final words of journalist Daniel Pearl, who was murdered in Pakistan in 2002:
“My father is Jewish, my mother is Jewish, I am Jewish.”
Edward Irving Koch died in New York City on February 1, 2013. He was 88.
1924-2013
