Residents at the London Terrace Apartments in Chelsea knew Karol Grzegorczyk as the shy, friendly doorman.

“He always fought through his insecurity to smile and engage,” said Andy Humm, president of the building’s tenants association, “Maybe he was improving his English or trying to gain confidence, but he got to know everyone.”

Grzegorczyk was born during the Papacy of John Paul II -- formerly Karol Wojtyla -- and named after him.

When he wasn’t manning his doorman’s post, Karol was studying. He diligently worked through a test prep program and reported in an online profile that, last year, he’d been accepted into business school. “You could tell he was constantly improving himself,” Humm said.

When Karol died, many London Terrace residents made the trip to Greenpoint, Brooklyn, for his wake. They also rallied to make donations to his wife, Margaret, who was pregnant with their first child.