John Lavelle did not die in vain. A few hours before his death, while at Wednesday's Council candidate Manny Inamorato's Beekman Pub fundraiser, I learned Lavelle donated his organs, with one of his kidneys saving the recipient's life.

Unless prohibited by religious belief or medical condition, it's a no brainer to donate organs postmortem. The former Staten Island political boss and legislator positively impacted people, even in death. We all can do likewise by joining organ donor lists.

My favorite organ donor story is that of JJ Greenberg, the son of the former US Holocaust Memorial chair Yitz Greenberg. He died after being hit by a car while bicycling in Israel. His organs saved six people, including a Palestinian in need of a liver.