Family, Friends & Fellow Officers Remember...

81 years ago your parents were blessed with you. It was a blessing for all who knew you the next almost 24 years. Yours was a life far too short.
Love,
Everybody

Nancy
Surviving spouse

May 25, 2024

There is no real ending. It’s just the place where our story stopped. Memories are treasures that keep our story alive.
Love,
Me

Nancy
Surviving spouse

May 8, 2024

This would’ve been your 80th birthday. Heaven must be celebrating the wonderful addition you’ve been for 56 years. We are missing you forever.
Love, Me

Nancy
Surviving spouse

May 25, 2023

There are special people in our lives who never leave us even after they are gone. Your love is a gift that remains in my heart even 56 years later.
Love, Me

Nancy
Surviving spouse

May 8, 2023

A day as special now as it was in 1963.
Love, Me

Nancy
Surviving spouse

August 17, 2022

Rest in peace Policeman Warren. Young and brave! Los Angeles won't overlook your young life and sadly a short career robbed by an evil man.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

May 8, 2022

Though life moves on, some things remain frozen in time and leave a deep wound in the soul that never heals. However, 55 years cannot diminish the memories of the joy you brought to my life.

Nancy
Surviving spouse

May 8, 2022

Uncle Roger,

55 years ago today the Warren family lost a HERO. Uncle Roger, you gave the ultimate sacrifice protecting and serving the streets and community of Van Nuys. Your dream was stolen at the hands of a merciless gunman. Uncle Roger you are my hero, and I know you have protected me, and given me that "tap on my shoulder" on more then one occasion, that breeze I feel in the heat of summer, enabling me to go home at the end of my shift. Go home to my family, your family, our family. You are gone, but not forgotten, and your legacy lives on. Thank you for being my ultimate cover-unit. Rest easy Uncle Roger Renick Warren Jr., we'll take it from here, for another year.

Love,

Your Nephew

Sgt. Matthew R. Warren #S39
Newark PD, California (nephew)

May 8, 2022

“The holiest of holidays are those kept by ourselves in silence and apart: the secret anniversaries of the heart.” (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow)

Nancy
Surviving spouse

May 8, 2021

My name is Joshua Warren and I am a deputy sheriff with the Los Angeles County Sheriff Department. I just graduated the academy this month. I wanted to reach out to the family of Officer Roger Renick Warren Jr. and carry his name in my shirt pocket and memory with me through my career. I know it was no coincidence that I stumbled upon Officer Warrens story and saw we shared the same last name and neighboring departments. I am 23 years old. I imagine we would have been friends. My prayers go to you and your family Officer Warren. Rest Easy Brother.

Deputy Sheriff Joshua Warren
Los Angeles County Sheriff Department

July 29, 2020

My name is Joshua Warren and I am a deputy sheriff with the Los Angeles County Sheriff Department. I just graduated the academy this month. I wanted to reach out to the family of Officer Roger Renick Warren Jr. and let you know I will carry his name in my shirt pocket and his memory with me through my career. I do not believe it was a coincidence when I stumbled upon Officer Warrens story and I saw we shared the same last name, current age and sister departments. I am 23 years old. I tried joining the Air Force as well, but I was disqualified due to poor eyesight. My prayers go to you and your family Officer Warren. Rest easy brother

Deputy Sheriff Joshua Warren
Los Angeles County Sheriff Department

July 29, 2020

Thinking of you on the 77th anniversary of your birth and feeling blessed by the gift of you in my life.

Nancy
Surviving spouse

May 25, 2020

A brave young man. Rest in peace Policeman Warren.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

May 8, 2020

It was the lead story on the 11:00 news. They didn’t give your name but when they said “A recent graduate of the Police Academy” I knew. I went to the door and waited because I knew “they” would be coming. Now 53 years later, life continues......never the same but always enriched by your presence in our hearts. Kelley and I miss you. We know you are resting in God’s light.

Nancy
Surviving spouse

May 8, 2020

“Everything is temporary but love. Love outlives us all.”

Nancy
Surviving spouse

February 14, 2020

Roger was my best friend's brother and his family were devastated by this senseless act. RIP Roger.

Lennart Gregory Johnson

October 27, 2019

“If you love something love it completely, cherish it, say it, but most importantly, show it. Life is finite and fragile and just because something is there one day, it might not be there the next. Never take that for granted. Say what you need to say, then say a little more. Say too much. Show too much. Love too much.” (Anon)
Thankfully we did.
Love, Me

Nancy
Surviving spouse

May 25, 2019

Each year at this time and when I wear the remembrance bracelet from (oleomf) org in Washington DC I remember the class mate who was killed the night before my training officer and I stopped a carload of wanted fellows.
They were on edge because they had been listening to the news concerning Rogers Ambush and death. The Detectives who interviewed the suspects indicated that due to their uneasiness they hesitated as we got the drop on them and the back up.
I have lost 32 Friends, partners, and personal associates in my 32 years with the Department. Roger was the very first and had such a crossing path with my early law enforcement. God Bless all those you were touched by our loss ,and I am sure that Roger is with our Lord today.

Astro10

May 9, 2019

RRW,
Fifty two years ago tonight I was watching the 11:00 news which began with a breaking story that a police officer had been shot and killed in Van Nuys. They didn’t give the name of the officer but they did say he was a recent graduate of the LA Police Academy. I could feel my heart pounding in my ears as I called the Van Nuys desk to see if they would tell me that you were okay. The officer put me on hold briefly and then said “I’m sorry Mrs. Warren, but I have no information I can give you right now.” A short while later, in the quiet of the night, I heard footsteps on the driveway of our apartment building. I went to the open window and saw three men in LAPD uniforms approaching the stairway leading to our door. I opened the door and stood there waiting for the news I knew they had come to deliver. The years have not dimmed the sad, sad memory of that night and May 8 will always be remembered as the beginning of the worst, most empty part of my life.
I am so grateful that some of the best parts of your personality are your legacy for Kelley. She is the essence of who you are and the direct recipient of your most authentic and endearing traits. I know that your first concern is for us to be okay and I believe you are watching over us every day. You are always in our hearts.
Love, Me

Nancy
Surviving spouse

May 8, 2019

You are always remembered by us. Never forgotten in your ultimate sacrifice.

Deputy Sheriff Los Angeles
County Sheriff

May 8, 2019

Hi Nancy,

I am so sorry for your loss. I know that even all the passing years don't help much. I happened to read about Officer Warren quite by accident, as I'm sure you know this incident was included in a pitch letter by Bob Cinader for the creation of the Adam 12 TV show. I found it in an online archive. Obviously it was successful and, as you know, that show was the inspiration for a generation of kids to enter law enforcement. Me included. After more than 30 years in the business and the loss of several friends along the way, I suppose I would still do it again.
Thank you for your sacrifice and for the ultimate sacrifice made by Roger - tragically in his first month of service - but nonetheless heroic and worthy of his place in heaven. Kindest regards,

Deputy Chief Dan Ruden
Rocklin PD

September 29, 2018

RRW,
The magic began in 1961, and it became official on August 17, 1963.
In 1967 the magic became six years worth of memories to cherish and an everlasting sadness to bear. You will always be missed..........
Love, Me

Nancy
Surviving spouse

August 17, 2018

Yours was a love story that has endured over five decades and validates the saying that "death ends a life, not a relationship." I know this from reading the reflection in remembrance of what would have been your 75th birthday that was left by your wife Nancy. As I read all the reflections left for you, I realize even more what an impact you made on so many people during your time here. And now you have a nephew serving in law enforcement and also a child named after you. I am so sorry that you were robbed of your life at such a young age. I believe in God and I believe in heaven, and I believe that one day that circle will be unbroken once again.


God bless all your family.

Phyllis Lasater Loya
mom of fallen Pittsburg Officer Larry Lasater, eow 4/24/05

July 24, 2018

RRW,
On what would have been your 75th birthday it seems appropriate to share portions of a letter I wrote to you about six months after you were killed. My thoughts are the same today as they were then.

“May 8, 1967 ended as the worst day of my life. You had been off work for the two days before and the three of us spent that time having fun and getting settled in our new apartment. Now it was your day to go back to work and you were so eager to get to the station and put on your uniform. Remembering our brief but sweet conversation before you walked out the door is what has helped me get through the dark days and months. After you left for work I called a friend to plan a surprise birthday party for you.......24 hours later I was planning your funeral instead. I know how happy you were when you left for work and I want to believe you were still that happy at the end because you were doing the work you loved. Over these months I’ve tried to remember some of the little things that made up our life together. Until Kelley arrived it was just the two of us. Without you I have no one to reminisce with because we lived far from our families and old friends and they weren’t part of our daily life.
When we were first married we lived in Hesperia and the vast Mojave Desert was our front yard. On your days off we did things like target shooting with your .22; you would line up tin cans and we’d lay on our bed shooting at them out our bedroom window. We had to stop doing that when we moved to Apple Valley about ten months later because the desert around us wasn’t as vast and unpopulated.
Our move to Albuquerque was a big deal for us because it took you off the TDY list to go to Vietnam. It also meant I didn’t have to go back to work. My 6 week maternity leave was almost up and I wasn’t looking forward to leaving Kelley with a babysitter. When we finally got on-base housing and started meeting our neighbors I noticed that no one was calling you Roger. Your explanation to me was that you never really liked your name. Since this was a new place with new friends you thought it was the perfect time to give yourself a name of your own choosing. You were so pleased with your new nickname that you kept it when you started the LAPD Academy.
My parents moved to Colorado and we would drive up to see them when we could. On one of our visits you and my Dad left in our VW Bug to go somewhere unknown. When you came back a few hours later you were driving a ‘66 Chevelle Super Sport 396 and you were beaming! On our 7 hour drive back to Albuquerque we climbed those mountain roads with ease and I think you grinned all the way.
The top secret base you were assigned to was in the desert and it was discovered that the desert critters had fleas that were carrying Bubonic Plague. All personnel were required to get Plague shots and the side effects were pretty tough. You spent a few days on the couch and that’s the only time I’ve ever known you to call in sick to work......and you really were down for the count.”

We were in our early twenties and the biggest things our life experiences taught us were 1) how to make it through a whole month on Air Force pay and still have food to eat
2) how to be supportive best friends to each other because we were all we had 3) how to parent a precocious red haired toddler. There’s nothing profound in these lessons learned but our life really did revolve around those things. Kelley will come to know your true legacy from your own words in the letters you wrote to me. She’ll read for herself how devoted we were to each other. She’ll see why losing you still affects me at the moment I’m writing this. People who did not know you or spend time with our little family of three have no concept of how close we were and how special our relationship was. We feel blessed and grateful for the time we had with you however short it was.
Kelley and I are thinking of you always and especially on the 75th anniversary of your birth. We know you watch over us constantly and you are forever in our hearts and souls.
Love,
Me

Nancy
Surviving spouse

May 25, 2018

Officer Warren,
On today, the 51st anniversary of your death I would just like to say thank you for your service and sacrifice-not just for your Community but for our Country as well when you served with the USAF. And to your Family and loved ones, I wish to extend my deepest sympathy.

R.I.P.
USBP

Anonymous
United States Border Patrol

May 8, 2018