Day 3 of 365

This is a very official photo of Capt. Gerry Hepp of the Fishers Police Department.  Gerry is a dear friend of mine, and so I know him well enough to realize he won’t be super comfortable with my post.  I hope he will forgive me for sharing this fancy picture and my little love bomb today.

Integrity filled men like Gerry are treasures to the community, and to the individual lives they touch.  Gerry has served Fishers with his signature smile and a great deal of compassion for nearly 30 years in different capacities at the FPD.  He has witnessed humanity at its very best, and at it’s gut-wrenching worst.  He’s had some difficult days at work, in service of us all, that I dare not even attempt to describe.  Somehow, through all of that, he kept his sense of humor and his sunny disposition.

There were insane moments that must have an interior impact that only men and women who live their lives in service to others could understand fully, but Gerry still showed up at his son Cole’s baseball games ready to cheer on #5 doing his work behind the plate, or to watch little brother Clay run the point for the Golden Eagles.  He never failed to greet yours truly or whoever was in his path with a big smile and a warm hug.  I ran into him many times after he and Ann took their big bike ride to breakfast together, and he’s always ready with that grin and giggle.  A father like Gerry is a big reason why those two young men are similarly articulate, hard-working and kind.

Gerry is retiring.  In fact, he has already hauled his things out of the station.  I know this because he sent me a couple of photos from his last day.  How fantastic it was to find these in my text stream!

I hear there’s a retirement open house for Gerry scheduled for tomorrow at the Fishers PD Training room from noon-4.  I’m hoping lots of grateful folks will stop in and celebrate the career of Capt. Hepp.  He’s a truly fantastic human being.

Thanks, Gerry, for what you’ve spent decades doing for the community, but even more for the terrific witness of what a husband, father, brother and friend can really be to those around him.  LOVE YOU, FRIEND.