Former Fox Lake police chief left his mark

Former Fox Lake Police Chief Edward Gerretsen Jr. was described as a visionary, motivator, devoted father and a huge sports fan with an incredible sense of humor during a memorial service Thursday.

Gerretsen died Sunday after a three-year battle with cancer. He was 54.

Friends and family took the podium at Spring Grove Funeral Chapel to describe the lasting effect he had on their lives.

Former Chief Ron Nagle said it's impossible to sum up Gerretsen's life in five minutes but described him as a man devoted to his job, community and family.

"He was devoted to the Fox Lake Police Department, he loved sports, and he loved to laugh," Nagle said. "I could spend hours talking about him. But, I can't. Instead, I'll just sum it up by saying God speed my friend. I love you."

Gerretsen served as the village's police chief from 1997 through 2005, after being appointed by former Mayor Jim Pappas.

Pappas said he pushed Gerretsen to take the job, but the former chief wasn't receptive at the start.

"I assured him that he would do great job and should take the position," Pappas said, fighting back tears. "Immediately after I said that, he looked at me and said "Good, because I have a list of things I want to do."

Pappas said Gerretsen refused to take a vacation day while in office, prompting the village board to write a local law preventing employees from accruing vacation time over long periods of time.

"We then asked him if we could pay him off slowly over a couple of years because the village couldn't afford to pay him off in one lump payment," Pappas said with a laugh.

About 100 police officers from Fox Lake and departments from Lake County and across the suburbs attended the service. About 100 civilians also were in attendance.

Dozens of police cars led the quarter-mile procession from the funeral home to Route 12, which was closed in his honor. It then drove past the police station, where he worked for 32 years, and into Grant Township Cemetery.

The police station, renovated under Gerretsen's watchful eye, was renamed the Edward Gerretsen Jr. Public Safety Building by Mayor Cindy Irwin after Gerretsen left office due to illness in 2005.

Gerretsen joined the Fox Lake police force in 1972 as a radio dispatcher. A year later he became a patrol officer. He was promoted to sergeant in 1981 and lieutenant nine years later. He was named chief in 1999.

Gerretsen was replaced by Chief Mike Behan, his hand-picked successor, in January 2006.

Behan said Gerretsen was his training officer when he joined the force in 1982. Behan explained Gerretsen had a sense of humor that made people enjoy being around him.

"He looked on my first day and asked if I was carrying a gun, and I said 'yes'," Behan said. "He then asked my age, I said '21', so he said 'Give me your bullets.'"

Behan said Gerretsen would be upset if he didn't repeat the former chief's "Go Bears" rally cry during the memorial service.

"He never once said 'why me' because that wasn't the type of person he was," Behan said. "He just said it is what it is."