CHEERING THEM ON — State parole officers Laurie George, Mary Leonard, Martin Cirincione, Pat Fitzmaurice and Janet Reeves run the final leg of a 160-mile relay from New York City to Albany in memory of fallen officers. — Photo by John Epting
Members run in memory of fallen parole officers
Approximately 25 PEF members — mainly state parole officers — completed their annual two-day, 160-mile relay run last month from New York City to the Albany site of a memorial to state parole officers who have died in the line of duty.
“This relay honors our fellow public employees who gave their lives in the performance of their duties as parole officers,” says parole officer Yvonne Samuel, the relay organizer. “We salute their courage and dedication.”
Samuel and the other participants began the run at the state Division of Parole Manhattan office and ran six-mile segments to make up a continuous relay for the 160-mile jaunt to Albany, ending at the site of the Parole Officers’ Memorial at the Empire State Plaza on October 1.
Officer James Capiello ran 20 miles and officer Bernard Mack ran 16. And officers Ruben Hernandez and Marcial Rosado Jr. each biked 10 miles.
The memorial is slated for completion in May 2002 and will bear the names of fallen NYS parole officers:
• Barry N. Sutherland, who died in New York City December 13, 1976;
• Raymond Rinaldi, who died in New York City May 22, 1981;
• Brian F. Rooney, who died in Queens October 10, 1985;
• Anthony Libertone, who died in Syracuse June 12, 1986;
• Theodore R. Clark Jr., who died in the Elmira area April 22, 1993; and
• Sharyn DeBose-Dover, who died in Westchester October 13, 1999.
Contributions for the construction and maintenance of the memorial should be sent to NYS Parole Officer’s Memorial Fund, c/o Parole Officer Connie Stevenson, NYS Division of Parole, 314 W. 40th Street, NY, NY 10018 — Sherry Halbrook