CANTON ‒ The sons, widow and great grandson of law enforcement officer Vincent P. Bann Jr. were among approximately 150 people who gathered outside the Stark County Sheriff’s Office for its annual Peace Officer Memorial Ceremony on May 15.
The ceremony, held on Peace Officers Memorial Day, remembered and honored men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty.
“We gather not only to mourn those we have lost, but we celebrate their lives, their courage and their unwavering commitment to duty,” Sheriff Eric Weisburn said. “We honor the officers who placed the safety and well-being of others above their own, those who answered a call few can truly comprehend, and who stood firm in the face of danger with quiet resolve and unmatched bravery.
“These individuals were not just officers. They were sons, brothers, fathers and friends. They laughed. They dreamed and embraced life’s simple joys with those they loved.”
Stark County Sheriff Eric Weisburn gives opening comments at the Peace Officer Memorial Day ceremony outside the Stark County Safety Center on May 15.
Remembering Vincent P. Bann Jr.
Bann’s widow Beverly, of North Canton, remembered the man she wed when she was 15 years old, and with whom she shared 56 years of marriage before his death on Jan. 20, 2012.
“He was a dedicated person,” she said. “He cared about a lot of people. He was strict. He always wanted to be a cop.”
Their son, Michael, said they had to go to Indiana to get married. He recalled with pride the time his father provided security for the late President George H. W. Bush.
Son Mark, of Deerfield, remembered his father as “very tough and disciplined,” an assessment with which brother Vincent Bann III agreed.
Stark County Sheriff’s Office Maj. Ryan Carver strikes the bell as the roll of fallen officers is called at the Peace Officer Memorial Day ceremony outside the Stark County Safety Center in Canton on May 15.
Mark said their father died at age 74 because his aorta separated while he was on duty with the Alliance Police Department. He had previously worked at the Sheriff’s Office and was a SWAT team member.
Among Bann’s descendants in attendance were his great grandson Micah Dugan, 9, who came because he wanted to give fist bumps to the assembled law enforcement officers.
Stark County’s Peace Officers Memorial Day
Other community members, families and representatives from various law enforcement agencies participated in the ceremony and a luncheon that followed.
Massillon Police Chief Jason Saintenoy calls roll for Massillon’s fallen officers at the Peace Officer Memorial Day ceremony outside the Stark County Safety Center on May 15.
Representatives of the Sheriff’s Office and the Alliance, Canton, Lawrence Township, Massillon and Uniontown police departments read the names of officers who died. Members of the sheriff’s color guard placed carnations in front of a memorial wall for each as their names were announced.
Carroll County Sheriff Calvin Graham played “Amazing Grace” on the bagpipes and later posed for photos. The Drifters vocal ensemble from GlenOak High School sang the national anthem.
In the invocation, Philip Lohmeyer, the sheriff’s senior chaplain, said that true greatness is not found in seeking power and control, but in serving others.
“Each of these heroes we honor once carried a badge,” he said. “But they also carried a dedication to service and community that I pray myself and each of us will honor in our lives as a means of respect for them in service to you.”
Lohmeyer asked God to bless the ceremony, the families of fallen comrades and the families of all law enforcement officers.
“Protect the heroes who are serving and protecting us today,” he said. “And Lord, bring them home safely at the end of their shift.”
Stark County Sheriff’s Office deputy Patrick Tohill plays taps at the Peace Officer Memorial Day ceremony outside the Stark County Safety Center on May 15.
The late Vincent P. Bann Jr. shakes the hand of former President George H.W. Bush when Bann, then a deputy sheriff, provided security for the late president.
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Reach Nancy at 330-580-8382 or nancy.molnar@cantonrep.com.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Vincent P. Bann Jr. among those saluted on Peace Officer Memorial Day