Wednesday, April 9, 2003

Re: The passing of Roger Spencer in Tyrone.

I join Collin Kelley in his sentiments about the passing of Chief Spencer in Tyrone. I have lived in Tyrone for 10 years and my husband has lived here for over 36 years.

Roger Spencer was a unique person and he was so right for this particular position. He never played town politics, he was fair and honest with everyone with whom he dealt, he never let the job go to his head and he never made you feel that he would not help you with whatever you needed from him or from his department.

He had a wonderful sense of humor and he would get the facts about a situation before he made a judgment about it. He had an open mind and an open heart.

Something else that served him well he had a lot of old-fashioned common sense which he applied just as much as he applied the rule book.

If you went to his funeral service, the esteem in which his community and his fellow officers held him was obvious to anyone. Even the guys at the top of the fire department cherry pickers that were parked on either side of Ga. Highway 74 with a large American flag stretched between them saluted when his cortege passed below them.

When I'm out in town, I still hope to see his friendly wave and mischievous grin when we pass in the car. I guess I'll be looking and hoping for some time to come.

A man like Roger is sorely missed and not soon forgotten. We are all better people for having known him and he definitely left Tyrone a better place for having been here among us.

His family and friends have my sympathy. His passing has left a gaping hole in their lives. We will all miss an ordinary man with an extraordinary capacity to care for his fellow man.

Mrs. Nin D. Garrett

Tyrone