Showing posts with label CPD (dec.). Show all posts
Showing posts with label CPD (dec.). Show all posts

Friday, April 15, 2011

Leo Boxing Night Will Support Leo High School Officer Eric D.Lee Memorial Scholarship

Boxing legend Emanuel Steward gives life lessons to Leo Men in October 2010.


Today at noon, Baltimore Ravens Safety and Heavyweight Boxing Pro Tommy Z - Tom Zbikowski will hold a workout in the Leo High School Boxing Gym. Leo Boxing coach Mike Joyce has guided Tommy since the Pro NFL Star and Boxer was nine (9) years old. This workout will be filmed by the NFL Network for an upcoming broadcast. Attending this event will be Leo Boxers, local press, and most importantly Mark Lee and his mother, Mrs. Anna Lee.


Mark Lee is a Leo Alumnus. In 2001, Mark's brother Officer Eric D. Lee was killed in the line of duty. Mark established a Memorial Scholarship in the name of Eric D. Lee to benefit families in need of help meeting the costs of tuition.

Tommy Zbikowski has boxed with the Leo Boxing Club, while a high student and athlete, through his great career as an All-American at Notre Dame and trained for his first professional fight at Madison Square Garden in New York in 2006, right here in the gym on the second floor of Leo High School. Tommy Z has supported both the Leo Boxing and Leo football programs.

The school is literally alive with ongoing academic, mentoring, college placement and career counselling programs. This Catholic high school for boys has been serving young men like Officer Eric D. Lee, CPD, who was a member of the Leo Track Team and Class Valedictorian. Eric Lee gave his life defending his community.

Mark Lee and the Lee family are pumping more energy into this 86 year old young school. The Lee Family lives by the Leo Motto of Facta Non Verba - Deeds Not Words.

Get active and come and support the Eric D. Lee Memorial Scholarship for Leo High School and take in some great boxing on May 10th at 115 Bourbon Street - Chicago's Charity Venue!

Leo Boxing Night at Bourbon Street in Merrionette Park on May 10th which will benefit a Scholarship in the Memory of Fallen Chicago Police Hero - Officer Eric Lee (Killed in the Line of Duty).

Leo Boxing Night 115 Bourbon Street 3359 West 115th Street Merrionette Park, IL 60803 (708) 398-8881

Donations $ 20 at the door Contact Leo Boxing Coach Mike Joyce ( 708) 227- 8425 for more information or to pre-order reserved seats.


Name: Lee, Eric D.
Star: 16947
Rank: Police Officer
District / Unit: 007 District (Englewood)
End of Watch: 19-Aug-2001
Incident Details: Officer Eric D. Lee was shot and killed as he and two other tactical officers attempted to aid a citizen.

Officer Lee and his partners were on a special patrol in the Englewood neighborhood when they spotted a man being beaten in an alley. They rushed to assist the victim and announced they were police. One of the fleeing assailants unexpectedly fired, striking Officer Lee in the head.

Several suspects were apprehended and held for questioning. The shooter was charged with the murder of a police officer. On January 23, 2004, Officer Lee's killer was found guilty of first-degree murder. On September 17, 2004, he was sentenced to life in prison. On November 22, 2005, following many continuances, the Cook County Criminal Court judge balanced the scales of justice and denied Officer Lee's killer both motions for a new trial.

Officer Lee was a 9-year veteran officer, a former Marine with a magna cum laude university degree, whose personnel file spoke to his nine years of good judgment on the job. He had volunteered to be a tactical officer, an especially dangerous line of police work. He had passed up his once-every-month options to “bid out” of Englewood for easier duty in a less stressful district. Friends said he liked the people of Englewood, enjoyed the uphill struggle to make their lives safer. Eric Lee became the 4th tactical officer to be shot to death in Chicago in 2 years.

His wife, 6-year-old daughter, parents, two brothers, and a sister survive Eric Lee.


http://www.cpdmemorial.org/fallen_hero/po-eric-lee-16947

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Universal Brotherhood of Firefighters Walk Down Western Avenue in Tribute to Fallen Hero Edward Stringer



From Ashkum to Wilmington, Illinois Firefighters paid tribute to one of the two fallen Brothers on Western Ave. yesterday. I watched with my neighbors along the route that took Firefighter Edward Stringer from St. Rita Chapel to Beverly Cemetary at 119th & Kedzie. Here is a fine story from Kane County on the Universal Brotherhood of Heroes - 1st Responders: Police, Fire and Emergency Medical.

When two Chicago firefighters died after a wall collapsed on them Dec. 22, waves of sadness spread to their fellow firefighters.

Firefighter Edward Stringer’s wake was on Monday night and he was buried Tuesday morning. Visitation for his colleague Corey Ankum is scheduled today; his burial will be on Thursday.

Some of the hundreds of firefighters who came to one funeral and will go to another are from the Fox Valley. Local officials say they came to respect those who died in the line of duty.

Among them was St. Charles Fire Capt. Nick McManus, who went to Stinger’s funeral on his day off.

“I went to honor a fellow firefighter fallen in the line of duty, to show my respects,” McManus said. “It’s just the right thing to do. It just comes with the territory of being a firefighter.”

McManus said he stood outside in the cold to salute and follow fire service funeral tradition and ceremony of saluting until the casket is brought into the chapel.

“When I saluted, I tried to make sure my arm was not shaking,” McManus said. “It was the wind.”

He said firefighters attended not only from the suburbs, but from Canada, Houston and Dallas, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Indiana and New York City.

“I felt sadness and a great sense of pride,” McManus said.

Geneva Deputy Chief Scott Spencer said paying respects at a funeral is part of the fellowship of firefighting.

“If a firefighter is killed in the line of duty in Chicago, or Pittsburgh or New York – it doesn’t matter. It hits everybody the same,” Spencer said. “It’s a horrible loss.”

Eight firefighters from Geneva went to Stringer’s wake and funeral, he said.

Fire officials in Sugar Grove could not confirm anyone went to Chicago, but a few from Elburn went.

“It’s important to honor your fallen brothers and their families,” Elburn Fire Chief Kelly Callaghan said.

But sometimes a staffing problem prevents them from attending, as it did in Batavia, explained Batavia Fire Lt. Tim Lyons.

“We are too tight on manning,” Lyons said. “Myself and another guy were going to go [Tuesday] but because of people being out sick, we were at a bare minimum. It broke my heart not to send somebody.”

Still, Lyons said he is off on Wednesday and plans to attend services for Ankum.

“The department has always been very good about covering my time so I can go. I’m there representing them, not just myself,” Lyons said. “I look at it as a blessing to have the support of the fire department to allow me to go.”

Lyons said he went to New York after Sept. 11, 2001, and went to 10 funeral services a day for five days.

Lyons said it meant a lot to the departments and their families to have that support.

“We said we are from just outside Chicago and they were blown away, got something in their eye,” Lyons said. “I get things in my eyes once in a while. It just means so much.”

He said it is not unusual for so many firefighters to turn out and support a fallen brother.

When six firefighters died in a fire when a warehouse collapsed on them in Worcester, Mass., in 1999, Lyons said, he was among those who came to help dig them out. It took eight days to recover their remains.

“They had guys there from Ireland, from England,” Lyons said. “There were 30,000 firemen there.”


God Bless All Who Protect Us From Harm!

Monday, September 13, 2010

Jack Hurley, CPD - At Home With Christ!


John "Jack" Hurley, age 58,

God Will Welcome Jack and the laughs will be eternal. May Eileen and the kids find comfort in the warmth Jack Hurley gave to one and all.

Ret. Det. C.P.D. and US Army veteran, after a courageous battle against pulmonary fibrosis; beloved husband of Eileen M. (Howland); loving father of Jackie, Melissa, and John; son-in-law of Frank and Betty Howland-Gildea; fond brother of Butch (Mary) and Dan (Donna) Hurley, Patty Kirby and Kathy (Gene) McNulty; preceded in death by his dear parents Winifred and Howard Hurley; father-in-law Edward Howland; adored uncle of many nieces and nephews. Jack will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved him. Our loss is Heaven's joy. Funeral Tuesday 9:15 a.m. from the Brady-Gill Funeral Home, 2929 W. 87th St., Evergreen Park to St. Cajetan Church. Mass 10 a.m. Interment Mt. Olivet Cemetery. Visitation TODAY - Monday from 2 to 9 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Hurley Children's college education and/or sign up to be an organ donor at www.donatelifeillinois.org. (708) 636-2600 or http://www.bradygill.com/.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

For Homicide Detective William D. Higgins, CPD and All Who Die in Service- A Poem He Loved


Billy Higgins had the heart of a warrior and the soul of a poet. He was a Policeman - an Area 2 Homicide Detective - and a true civil servant. Shortly upon his retirement, Billy's great heart went quiet and his soul returned to Christ.

Billy Higgins died reading at his kitchen table, but had lived kicking down doors behind which armed enemies of civilization cowered from the Truth. They were our monsters - murderers. Billy and his partner Marty Tully brought these cowards to face the laws they violated - if not to Justice.

One of Billy's favorite poems that he had learned as little boy in St. Sabina's ( Cook Elementary School) parish was about the Irish Brigade of France.

Like most heroic poetry that has gone out of fashion in our tiny-hearted culture, the themes of Sacrifice, Honor, Fidelity, Gallantry and Courtesy became the foundation for a life of service to Policemen, Fireman, Soldiers, Sailors and all who labor to protect us.

BATTLE OF FONTENOY
by: Bartholomew Dowling (1823-1863)

BY our camp-fires rose a murmur
At the dawning of the day,
And the tread of many footsteps
Spoke the advent of the fray;
And as we took our places,
Few and stern were our words,
While some were tightening horse-girths,
And some were girding swords.


The trumpet-blast has sounded
Our footmen to array--
The willing steed has bounded,
Impatient for the fray--
The green flag is unfolded,
While rose the cry of joy--
"Heaven speed dear Ireland's banner
To-day at Fontenoy!"


We looked upon that banner,
And the memory arose
Of our homes and perish'd kindred
Where the Lee or Shannon flows;
We look'd upon that banner,
And we swore to God on high,
To smite to-day the Saxon's might--
To conquer or to die.


Loud swells the charging trumpet--
'Tis a voice from our own land--
God of battles! God of vengeance!
Guide to-day the patriot's brand;
There are stains to wash away,
There are memories to destroy,
In the best blood of the Briton
To-day at Fontenoy.


Plunge deep the fiery rowels
In a thousand reeking flanks--
Down, chivalry of Ireland,
Down on the British ranks!
Now shall their serried columns
Beneath our sabres reel--
Through the ranks, then, with the war-horse--
Through their bosoms with the steel.


With one shout for good King Louis,
And the fair land of the vine,
Like the wrathful Alpine tempest,
We swept upon their line--
Then rang along the battle-field
Triumphant our hurrah,
And we smote them down, still cheering,
"Erin, shanthagal go bragh."


As prized as is the blessing
From an aged father's lip--
As welcome as the haven
To the tempest-driven ship--
As dear as to the lover
The smile of gentle maid--
Is this day of long-sought vengeance
To the swords of the Brigade.


See their shatter'd forces flying,
A broken, routed line--
See, England, what brave laurels
For your brow to-day we twine.
Oh, thrice bless'd the hour that witness'd
The Briton turn to flee
From the chivalry of Erin
And France's "fleur de lis."


As we lay beside our camp-fires,
When the sun had pass'd away,
And thought upon our brethren
Who had perished in the fray,
We prayed to God to grant us,
And then we'd die with joy,
One day upon our own dear land
Like this of Fontenoy.

"Battle of Fontenoy" is reprinted from Historic Poems and Ballads. Ed. Rupert S. Holland. Philadelphia: George W. Jacobs & Co., 1912.