Mon Feb 08 2010
by Tim Troglen
Reporter
Hudson -- The same band of brothers and sisters who Boston Heights Police Officer Jarod M. Dean relied on in life began gathering shortly after 8 a.m. Jan. 24 at St. Mary Church to escort him on his final journey to Calvary Cemetery in Cleveland.
Mr. Dean, 24, of Hudson, was picking up debris on Route 8 when he was struck and killed by a truck around 5:30 a.m. Jan. 19.
With temperatures in the 20s and a light snow coating the ground on Saturday, police officers from across Ohio and as far away as New York began arriving at St. Mary Church to honor one of their fallen number.
"It's never a good day for a police officer's funeral," said Twinsburg Police Officer Tom Austin, who, along with his department, was helping with the day's traffic detail.
The funeral procession began at Fortuna Funeral Home in Independence around 10:20 a.m. and made its way through Northfield, Northfield Center, Macedonia and Boston Heights before arriving at the church.
Twinsburg Police Chief Chris Noga, whose department had an officer shot and killed last year, said working the funeral was "tough."
"It all comes back -- it really does," Noga said. "But that's why we're here helping out where we can because we've been through it and want to provide support to Boston Heights."
Noga said he didn't know Mr. Dean personally.
"But from everything I heard he was a wonderful young officer starting out the beginning of his career and eager to learn how to do his job," Noga said.
Nearby, volunteers from the American Red Cross had set up a table and were handing out warm beverages to the officers and those attending the funeral. Jake Haser, a volunteer with the organization, said while he has provided relief during several national disasters, helping at the funeral of a police officer was extremely sad.
"Particularly when it is a young man who is just getting his life started," Haser said.
The Summit County Sheriff's Department Mounted Patrol Unit, a Cleveland pipe and drum corps and honor guards from police departments across Ohio were among the estimated 500 officers who came to honor Mr. Dean.
Peter Tobin, the superintendent of the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, and Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray also attended.
"We are honoring a young man who died tragically," Tobin said as he waited for Cordray. "And the attorney general is on his way up today to express his condolences to the family."
Tobin said he has been in law enforcement for 35 years.
"And I've been to 50-plus police funerals throughout the state and it never gets easy," Tobin said. "We have a tradition of giving our boys and women a good send off when something bad happens, and we try to wrap our arms around the family and take the best care of them that we can."
Walton Hills Police Chief Gary Rhines also attended the funeral with several of his officers. Rhines said it was good to see, despite the weather, what he called "a good turnout," saying he had seen officers from as far away as New York.
"It's to pay our respects," Rhines said. "It's just part of the brotherhood that we have."
Among the officers were several members of the community, including Boston Heights. One family that asked only to be identified as the "Bruce family" said they were there not because they knew Mr. Dean, but because "he was a patrolman in our neighborhood, that's all we knew."
"And we wanted to show our gratitude and sympathy to the family," they added.
Just after 11:15, Mr. Dean's body arrived, accompanied by a motorcade of police cars from Hudson, Windham, Waynesburg, Magnolia and Boston Heights.
Mr. Dean's casket was slowly carried from the hearse to the church by a contingent of officers, marching in time to the pipe and drum corps as the sea of uniformed officers solemnly saluted and watched as the family followed their loved one into the church for his funeral Mass.
The officers followed the family, each taking their hat off and holding it over their heart in a silent salute.
The service
The Mass was led by the Rev. Michael Surufka, pastor of St. Stanilaus Church in Cleveland.
He told the mourners who filled the church to near capacity that Mr. Dean "was a man dedicated to serve and protect."
Those words were echoed by Boston Heights Mayor Bill Goncy, who said "Jarod Dean truly cared about the people he came in contact with in his daily work."
"Although with us for too short a period of time, he impressed upon us his desire by vigorously serving," Goncy said. "His commitment to being a devoted police officer led him to care about the people he made contact with and work diligently to resolve the issues that concerned them. He truly cared about the profession he chose."
Goncy told Mr. Dean's family, which includes his brother John, a Hudson police officer, that "the hearts of an entire community mourn this devastating loss."
"Jarod's life commitment touches all of our lives," Goncy softly said. "And I don't speak alone when I say that we will miss you, Jarod. Thanks for sharing your life with us."
John Dean told the mourners that his brother "loved being a police officer."
"He strove to do it so well and so honorably," John said. "I can only hope that I can meet his standards."
John said he and his brother would meet for coffee often, and he was once able to see him make a traffic stop.
"I was so proud of him walking up there," he said. "I loved my brother so very much, and I am overwhelmed by this support. He was a great kid."
Boston Heights Police Chief Joseph Varga said Mr. Dean "had a passion for the job and a thirst for knowledge."
And amid the sorrow, Varga shared a story with the crowd which brought a few smiles.
According to Varga, his young officer was given the nickname "cookie monster."
Varga said that during the September Hudson High School homecoming dance, "one of the things that caught Jarod's eye was a table full of homemade cookies."
"Before I knew it Jarod had found his post directly beside the cookie table," Varga said amongst the light laughter. "Every time I looked over, Jarod was shoving cookies into his mouth."
Varga said at one point he walked over and told Mr. Dean, "Jarod, the cookies were meant for the kids, not us."
"Jarod heeded my advice and stopped eating the cookies in front of the kids," the chief said. "However, at this point he grabbed a handful of them and went outside to eat them."
Varga said a few days later when Goncy heard what happened, he bought the young officer a box of cookies -- which Varga and another officer got to before Mr. Dean.
Varga assured Mr. Dean's parents that their son would never be forgotten by him or the department. Then Varga said these words to his fallen officer:
"You will not be forgotten. Rest easy young man, we will assume your watch."
E-mail: ttroglen@recordpub.com
Phone: 330-688-0088 ext. 3146
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