Thursday 7 July 2022 11:12 PM Florida newspaper apologizes for running obituary by son of ex-NYPD cop who ... trends now The publisher of a Florida newspaper apologized for the poison-pen obituary written by the embittered son of a former NYPD officer that called him an 'abusive alcoholic' who was 'incapable of love.' The mea culpa by Florida Times-Union publisher Gannett came after Lawrence Pfaff Jr., of Jacksonville, memorialized his dad in the July 2 edition of their paper as a 'womanizer' who left behind a 'path of destruction.' 'From a young age, he was a ladies' man and an abusive alcoholic, solidifying his commitment to both with the path of destruction he left behind, damaging his adult children, and leaving them broken,' the heartsick son wrote. Lawrence Pfaff Jr wrote a scathing takedown of his father, who he called an 'abusive alcoholic' in an obituary that ran in the Florida Times Union Lawrence Pfaff Sr, pictured here, was trashed by his son in a poison-pen obituary that ran in the Florida Times-Union He went on to trash his father as a ne'er-do-well whose love of the bottle eclipsed anything else in his love. 'Lawrence, Sr's hobbies included abusing his first wife and children,' the son wrote. 'He loved to start projects but never followed through on any of them. He enjoyed the life of a bar fly for many years and had a quaint little living space, studio, above his favorite hole in the wall, the club Nashville.' The blistering epitaph proved too much for Gannett after the paper hit Southern Florida's doorsteps. Lawrence Pfaff Jr, pictured here with his wife, Gwen, said that he wrote the scathing memorial to his dad so that he could cleanse himself and move past his anger 'We regrettably published an obituary that did not adhere to our guidelines and we are looking into the matter further,' the publisher told First Coast News. 'We regret any distress this may have caused.' Pfaff Jr said that he started the takedown of his father a year before his father died in Belmont, New York, at the age of 81 on June 27. 'Writing his obituary was a way for me to cleanse myself and let that part of my life go,' he told the broadcast outlet. Here is the full obituary written by Lawrence Pfaff Jr. after his father died on June 27 at the age of 81 He said that he tried to bond with his father when he was younger, but has been estranged from the patriarch for 30 years. The offended offspring said that his father had several children; some he acknowledged; others he did not. 'He is survived by his three children, no four. Oops, five children. Well as of 2022 we believe there is one more that we know about, but there could be more. His love was abundant when it came to himself, but for his children it was limited,' Lawrence Jr. said in his obituary. The son even took a swipe at his father's career in law enforcement. 'Lawrence, Sr. did spend over 20 years in the NYPD, but even his time in service was negligent at best,' his son wrote. 'Because of his alcohol addiction, his Commanding Officer took away his gun and badge, replacing them with a broom until he could get his act together.' Despite Gannett's regrets over publishing the obit, many reached out to Lawrence Jr. on Facebook to applaud his courage. 'I also lived your special kind of hell as a child with a father that was a monster,' Cathy Nix posted on the social networking site. 'I have worked through many years of pain to make a wonderful successful life although it has been more than a struggle at times. Society needs to hear more people like yourself step up for those that never had a voice. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for being so brave to speak your truth.' Alcoholism played a major role in the dad's tragic legacy, but that did not earn him any passes from his son. 'Lawrence, Sr. did claim to be clean and sober for over thirty years, but never worked any of the twelve steps, including the eighth and ninth steps with his children, making amends,' his son wrote. 'He possesses no redeeming qualities for his children, including the ones he knew, and the 'ones he knew about.''' The funeral for Lawrence Sr. was at Clayton Funeral Home in Kings Park, New York, according the website Legacy.com. Two people remember the former officer differently, posting glowing memorials on his funeral webpage. 'I'll miss you, good buddy,' Michael Pirrone wrote. 'You were a strong and loyal friend to me and I'll always remember you as someone who never said no when I was in need. You helped me immensely in life and for that I will always be grateful. You will always be remembered.' Another friend, Michael Hoffman, wrote 'May you rest easy, Brother until the day we meet again. I will always hold you in my heart. I love you.' But that's not how his own son recalled him. 'It will be challenging to miss Lawrence, Sr. because he was narcissistic,' Lawrence Jr. wrote. 'He was incapable of love. Lawrence, Sr.'s passing proves that evil does eventually die, and it marks a time of healing, which will allow his children to get the closure they deserve. Lawrence, Sr. can be remembered for being a father to many, and a dad to none.' All rights reserved for this news site (dailymail) and under his responsibility