Family, Friends & Fellow Officers Remember...

Rod,
I think of you and that fateful day every time I drive by the memorial at the spot. Your courage and sacrifice will never be forgotten.

Bill

former VBPD AUX

February 12, 2005

Just reading your reflections today and I'm reminded of what a hero you are. We are so grateful that we were blessed with you here on earth with us even though for such a short period of time. Rest easy, and thanks for all you've done.

VBPD

January 27, 2005

Rod had to smile last week I saw you on COPS and there you stood your ground as you did in real life, telling the woman to get in touch with life, and her husband to look at what was in front of him. I told my friend that was the way he was all the time.
Well at least your still on TV and I can see you in action as I did before.
I still miss you, Rick

Detective Rick Spargos

January 15, 2005

I was truly amazed to come on to Rod's memorial site this evening and see that you could still write reflections. I read all the ones I hadn't read or printed.

If I would have known, I would have wished you, Rod, happy birthday in 2003 and tell you that some of us gathered at a bar and drank to you. We talked about you all night (Just the way you would have wanted it to be).

Christmas 2003 was the hardest of all times. You always ate all the smelts and spaghetti that Aunt Lucy made. She still makes that much. I think it is her way of trying to remember all that used to eat with her on Christmas eve. This was our family time and it was sooo empty. All I could do was cry.

After being able to talk with some close friends, and after finally having you come into my dreams, I was able to cope with losing you. I have had 4 dreams about you and will never forget the first one where you came to me in my dream, and sat on my couch. I cried and said you weren't real but I was going to sit by you anyway. When I sat down next to you, I leaned my head on your shoulder and cried so hard. It was then that I felt the biggest hug ever. I could feel the warmth of your body next to mine. You didn't speak but kept smiling. You glowed. I truly felt you were there because when dad died I couldn't touch him or feel him in my dreams. You knew that I needed your brotherly arms around me and you hugged me.

We toasted you again on June 23rd and on September 17 (your birthday) in 2004. We remembered you during Police Week of 2004. John rode for you Rod. He misses you alot. Thank you for sending us Scott because he is like a brother that we needed to have in this life.

I am sure you are watching from above and seeing how wonderful the officers are to your family and everyone. I see that they still hurt, like me. They think of you too. I think of you everyday. My blue candle shines in two windows 24/7. It is telling you to come home Rod.

I miss seeing Maria and Carson. Things are really different now.

Please protect us down here and watch over all your brothers in blue.

Jaclyn and I have found our purpose in life now. It is to help promote Police Week in the schools (where the kids are young) and to promote it anywhere else we can.

I love you little brother. You are now buried next to dad and I always keep pictures of us on your grave. I place my cards there too.

Please keep Carson and Maria safe.

I'm sending you a big hug and a kiss from Devon, Lauren (your godchild), and me.

BIG SISTER GINA POCCESCHI BOYLE

January 14, 2005

Last night I got pulled over in a sobriety check and actually ran into a few friend officers who were conducting the checkpoint. I am constantly thank ful for everything these officers do to keep us safe each and every day. They are out there to make sure we make it home safe, putting aside their safety. I went by your memorial today on Dam Neck Road Officer Pocceschi and I left you flowers and cleaned up a little. There was another set of fresh flowers out there and that made me smile. We will never forget what you did for us. May God continue to bless you and your family left behind.

Lisa

January 1, 2005

On this Christmas day I just want to thank you again for your loyal service to the public and the ultimate sacrifice that you gave so others can live in peace. You are not forgotten and will always be alive in our hearts! God bless you Rod.

Officer K Sanchez
VBPD

December 25, 2004

You are still with me today as I patrol the streets of VB. Your sacrifice will never be forgotten. Gone but never forgotten. Your memory will never fade. Rest in Peace...

JP
VBPD

December 23, 2004

We all still miss you so much Rod.

Always

Tommy
VBPD

December 1, 2004

Rod-
Still miss you and think of you every day. Wish you were here to trade stories at "choir practice". God bless...

Matt
VBPD

November 19, 2004

My family would like to send our heartfelt sympathies to the family, friends, & fellow co-workers of P.O. Rodney Pocceschi.
You're in our thoughts and prayers. May God watch over all the brave men and women in law
enforcement who put their lives on the line everyday as they serve & protect their communities.
Your job is a difficult one and we truly appreciate all you do. God bless each & everyone of you.

Gail M Pabst
Aunt of fallen Detroit P.O. Jennifer Fettig eow 2-16-04

November 17, 2004

I salute you for your service and honor you for your sacrifice.

A hero never dies.....

Rest in peace, hero. God bless.

September 29, 2004

Even though I never knew Officer Rod Pocceschi, I wanted to take the time to share how the sacrifice he made was able to have a lasting effect on me, a 22-year-old student from Reading, PA. Last summer I had the opportunity of doing an internship with the Reading Police Dept. My first day was Monday, June 23rd, the day Officer Pocceschi was killed, but I only found out about his death that Friday. During roll call, the Sergeant told all of the officers about gunfire in Virginia Beach and how an officer had been killed. Being in the presence of men and women who put their lives on the line every day to protect people like me really opened my eyes and made me realize how important it is to appreciate what these officers do and the risks that they face. This weekend I was visiting a friend at Bloomsburg University and we stopped by Good Old Days, the bar where Rod used to work. In the entrance way, I noticed a memorial made in his honor, and it made me smile. I thank you, Officer Pocceschi, for the sacrifice you made, for touching so many people in your life, and for making such a lasting impression on so many even after your death.

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but rather by the moments that take our breath away..."

Havilyn
Reading, Pennsylvania

September 26, 2004

-Words can't express the feeling I felt as Susan walked into L.E.T.A. and told us "There's no easy way to put this, Rod is dead." The words lingered in my soul as I graduated from the academy two days later. I realized that training was over and it was time to hit the streets. Rod, we love you and will always remember you as we do what we do. From myself, the rest of the 35th Police Recruit Academy and the Beach department....God bless your family and may we never forget.

Officer W.L.Gervin
Virginia Beach Police Department

September 21, 2004

Happy Birthday in Heaven buddy! Still miss you and will never forget you.

Jeff Kovalchik
18 1/2

September 17, 2004

You have chosen to do a thankless job, know that your sacrafice will not be forgotten. The streets are still in the best hands.

Tracie
Daughter, sister & sister-in-law of VBPD officers

September 16, 2004

Rod, I had the honor the to be in Academy class 28 with you. You are a true hereo, who I miss dearly and you will never be forgotten.

Member of the 28th
VBPD

August 28, 2004

We still miss you, buddy. Never forgotten, always remembered....

VBPD

August 28, 2004

Still not a day goes by when I don't think of Rodney or feel a sense of him being around me. Even after a year's passing, I am hoping that no one is forgetting about him. Although not in the literal sense, he still feels so alive around me. It makes me feel safe, valid and honored to have this wonderful angel on my side.

I'm planning on taking a vacation in the next couple of weeks and am going to visit Virginia Beach. I always said I would never visit because of the bad memories it would bring, however, something is telling me to go. I would appreciate it if anyone could let me know of any memorials the city has for Rodney. Please e-mail me and let me know what I shouldn't miss when I'm there. Feel free to e-mail just to share great stories of Rod too. Thanks!


rest in peace bro!

Jeff Kovalchik
Blakely, PA

August 8, 2004

I never had the honor of meeting Rod, but I am thankful for his dedication and service to all of us. I drive past the location of his death everyday and I render a salute to him and his fellow officers - literally. I hope the other drivers see me do it and think a little. No, I hope they think a lot. One of my sons is a Police Officer too, so I do understand the risks you all face everyday and every night. God Bless you all, and be safe. Do not ever go softly into the night.

T. Yorty
Virginia Beach

August 4, 2004

To Maria,Carson, and everyone that loved Rod:

It's been a year now since Rod was taken from us. I think about him all the time and I miss him all the time. I like to talk about Rod, not to depress people, but to let them know what a great person Rod was and so he is always remembered. Thank you for the joy you brought to my life, the late night conversations, comming to visit me at work when you had time, the laughs, and mostly for letting me call you a friend. I do miss you a great deal but I thank GOD for the time he gave me with you. I hope you are in a peacful place filled with warmth, that is what you deserve. I dont know what else to say except RIP and GOD bless your soul and your family.

Richard Blovad
Friend

June 23, 2004

Continue to rest in peace Officer Pocceschi....

Last Traffic Stop....

A police officer listens
To a whisper in his ear
Please don’t go
He freezes with fear

He shakes his head
So the voice will go away
"I have a job to do"
He hears himself say

He lays his fears aside
To follow his path
Little does he know
This is the call of death

He approaches the vehicle
Using his flashlight
To ease his fear
Break through the night

A loud blast
What could he have done
How could he have known
This lady had a gun

"I have done what I’ve sworn to do"
Guard your miserable life
Uphold justice
And protect you

With his last breath of life
He touches the badge on his chest
"Lord I've kept my promise and done my best"
My son welcome to heaven
Close your eyes and rest

June 23, 2004

Took the long way to work this morning and drove by the site. After a year it still hurts. Hope to get a permanent marker there soon. Know you’ve been a guardian angel to many of us this past year. Hope we’re doing honor to your name and the job you loved. Continue to watch over us. You’ll never be forgotten for your sacrifice.

Anonymous

June 23, 2004

"To laugh often and love much;
To win the respect of intelligent people
And the affection of children;
To earn the approbation of honest critics
And endure the betrayal of false friends;
To appreciate beauty;
To find the best in others;
To give one's self;
To leave the world a little better,
Whether by a healthy child,
A garden patch,
Or a redeemed social condition;
To have played and laughed with enthusiasm
And sung with exultation;
To know even one life has breathed easier
Because you have lived ...

This is to have suceeded."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Rod ...
Thanks for making a difference in theis world. You're not forgotten ...
June 23, 2004

June 23, 2004

Wednesday, June 23, 2004. For most of the world, it's just another day. People are rushing to work, others out running errands, the house across the street is alive with the sound of carpenters replacing a roof. To most, it's any other Wednesday.

For anyone reading these pages, it's one of the saddest days in the year. The day we lost one of the greatest men of the world. One year has passed, yet the pain I felt on this day last year remains.

There is no solice in asking "Why him?" There is no logical answer. Nothing anyone says can justify the loss of Rod. I thought that after a year's passing, it would be easier to cope and accept his passing. It isn't.

I find comfort in talking about him to people who didn't get the chance to meet him. Those who didn't have the awesome opportunity to have him influence their lives. The people of the world who do not appreciate the dangerous work the men and women in blue do every day to keep us safe.

I talk to him every day. There are so many moments and experiences in the past year where I felt his strong presence around me. I can only hope he hears my prayers and my feelings of regret for not having shared my appreciation for his friendship while he was still on Earth.

Maria, Carson, Jacci, Gina, Mrs. Lee, and everyone else who loved Rod, I join you on this day in remembering him and feeling the loss of one of the greatest men God gave to this Earth. There isn't a day that goes by when I don't think of him.

Rod, I can only hope you can see all of these reflections. I hope you can feel the love everyone is sending to your soul. I know you're still around and still watching our backs. I pray you can continue to give everyone who misses you the comfort you provided to us before you were taken away. I hope you never stop guiding me or watching over me. I can only pray that I get the chance to pay you back. Until that day comes, I'll never forget you or let anyone else forget how awesome you were.

I wish with all my heart that Heaven is as beautiful and as peaceful as we are led to believe. You deserve nothing less than an eternity of comfort and happiness. That is what you provided to so many people for 33 years. It's your turn to feel it.

I miss you, but i'll never forget you.

p.s. thanks for the dimes

Jeff '18 1/2'
06/23/04

Jeff Kovalchik
18 1/2

June 23, 2004

We will never forget this officer's service and sacrifice. NEVER! Our Nation's Capital has many, long standing memorials, some of which have names inscribed upon them. The names are of men and women that have made a difference to this great Country. Some of those names include Presidents, Brave Soldiers, and Courageous Law Enforcement Officers. The name "Rodney F. Pocceschi" is now among the select, other heroic and great men and women in our Nation's history.

What a tremendous honor it was for me to know you Rod. I will forever appreciate what you did on June 23, 2003.

Sergeant W. S. Humphrey
Virginia Beach Police Department

June 23, 2004