Sergeant Erin Marie Hehl

I discovered this website a little while ago and have been debating whether it was appropriate for me to post something to honor Erin (since I am not in law enforcement). But my wife (who went to high school with Erin) reminded me that it is always appropriate to say nice things about someone, so here goes:

I first met Erin 40 years ago in the spring of 1985. She had just graduated from SIU, and I was in graduate school. We were hired by the Skokie Park district to manage Oakton Pool. Our friendship developed instantaneously. She was openly friendly, warm, great with people, and had a terrific sense of humor. Working with her was a joy. The pool patrons and lifeguard staff all loved her. I also had the pleasure of getting to know her sister (through her visits to the pool) and meeting her parents on several occasions. I discovered that the warmth that Erin displayed was a family trait.

There are many anecdotes I could share about that summer, but there is one in particular that makes me chuckle to this day. One night, there was a break-in at our sister pool at Devonshire Park. I believe there were some items taken and there was some property damage. Suspecting that we would be next, Erin decided that she was going to stake out our pool the following evening. She spent the entire night in the pool office in the dark hoping to catch the offenders. No one showed up, but it was definitely a case of Erin being Erin!

The following year, Erin entered the academy to become a Skokie police officer. I continued my schooling while Erin eventually fulfilled her dream of becoming an Illinois state trooper. I subsequently moved to Kentucky for a surgical residency program. Unfortunately, as happens all too often with friends, our lives drifted apart. I thought of her often over the years and intended to look her up, but life got busy, and I regrettably never followed through. After moving back to Chicago, I visited the pool in the summer of 1998. I ran into one of the “regulars” from my time there and we got to reminiscing. As a result, I informed her that I was now fully committed to reconnecting with Erin. She looked at me with a pained expression and said, “You don’t know?’ It was like punch in the gut that I still feel to this day. Such a profound loss to the world. I realize that this is very late in coming, but my heart goes out to her family.

I have learned a very painful lesson, one that I never hesitate to share with others. And that is, if you are contemplating reconnecting with a friend, loved one, or family member, don’t put it off. You never know what the future holds.

Erin, I am so sorry that we did not reconnect. Rest in peace, my friend.

Michael Meer
Friend

March 27, 2025