Bernie Kerik, the former New York City police commissioner who was hailed as a hero after 9/11, has died at 69 years old.

His death was announced by FBI Director Kash Patel on Thursday night, who wrote that Kerik “passed away after a private battle with illness.”

“Rest easy, Commissioner. Your watch has ended, but your impact will never fade,” Patel wrote.

Kerik’s rise to national prominence came during the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, where he became a steady figure alongside then-Mayor Rudy Giuliani. 

Bernie Kerik attends AOL BUILD Speaker Series: Former NYC Police Commissioner Bernie Kerik discusses his book “From Jailer to Jailed” at AOL Studios In New York on April 6, 2015 in New York City.   (Mireya Acierto/Getty Images)

Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik at his office in 1 Police Plaza. (Budd Williams/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images)

Born in Newark, New Jersey, in 1955, Kerik dropped out of high school but later earned his GED before joining the U.S. Army.

After returning to civilian life, he entered law enforcement and rose through the ranks, eventually leading the city’s Department of Correction. In 2000, he was appointed NYPD commissioner by Giuliani.

Fox News Digital’s Ronn Blitzer contributed to this report.