POLICE CHIEF REMEMBERED HUNDREDS ATTEND FUNERAL OF MARENGO'S TOP COP : Newspaper Obituary and Death Notice
Chicago Tribune (IL) - March 25, 1997
Deceased Name: POLICE CHIEF REMEMBERED HUNDREDS ATTEND FUNERAL OF MARENGO'S TOP COP
Words of praise for the late Pete Bigalke flowed Monday through Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Marengo, but the greatest tribute to the community's deceased police chief started six blocks away.
More than 70 squad cars from as far away as Cedar Falls, Iowa, formed a funeral procession at the Marengo-Union Funeral Home and moved slowly with their lights on along the quiet streets to the church
In one of the largest funerals ever in McHenry County, more than 150 of Bigalke's fellow police officers had come to escort the casket of their comrade, who died Friday of pancreatic cancer, two days before his 50th birthday.
As the squads approached the church, they peeled off in two directions to encircle the red stone building. On both sides of the church steps, police officers in their dress uniforms stood at attention, some teary-eyed, others biting their lips to hold back the tears.
The officers solemnly followed the casket and family into the church as a police bagpipe team filled the air with haunting music.
The officers--police chiefs, lieutenants, detectives, patrol officers, undercover drug agents who surfaced for the day--joined 500 other friends and relatives who filled the church well beyond its capacity of 400.
"Whether you knew Pete as a police officer or a parishioner, there was one quality of his that stood out: faith," Monsignor Philip E. O'Neil, pastor of Sacred Heart, said of the soft-spoken man who had been a Marengo police officer for nearly 25 years and chief for more than a decade.
"He had a great caring and love for other people," said O'Neil. " He had compassion. He treated everybody with the same respect."
Rev. William Wentink, a chaplain for Rockford police and the FBI, told of Bigalke's honesty and courage.
"You knew him as a man who would be the first officer to go into a dangerous building," said Wentink. "He was going to retire on his 50th birthday. When I visited him in the hospital a couple of weeks ago, his last words were, `Tell them to be excellent police officers. Tell them to be understanding with the people they work with.' "
Steve McArdle, an attorney and close friend of Bigalke's, spoke about Bigalke's thoroughness as an investigator, his sense of humor and his concern for children and victims of domestic violence.
"He never took an action because it was trendy or politically expedient," said McArdle, a former assistant state's attorney. "He made decisions for the police department and the citizens of Marengo because they were just plain right."
After mourners sent the casket out of the church with verses from "On Eagle's Wings" and "Be Not Afraid," they joined the procession to Sacred Heart Cemetery in Marengo.
"Tell the people that Pete was a fantastic guy. He was always there when you needed him, no matter what time of night it was," said former McHenry County Sheriff George Hendle, who traveled from his retirement home near Farmington, Mo., to the funeral.
Under a green tent, with a cold air sweeping the cemetery, Bigalke was laid to rest with his family around him--his wife, Grace; his daughter, Amy; his twin brother, Michael; his sister, Mary, his mother, Blanche, and several nieces and nephews, as two members of the Marengo High School band played taps and the bagpipe team played "Amazing Grace.
Chicago Tribune (IL) - March 25, 1997
Deceased Name: POLICE CHIEF REMEMBERED HUNDREDS ATTEND FUNERAL OF MARENGO'S TOP COP
Words of praise for the late Pete Bigalke flowed Monday through Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Marengo, but the greatest tribute to the community's deceased police chief started six blocks away.
More than 70 squad cars from as far away as Cedar Falls, Iowa, formed a funeral procession at the Marengo-Union Funeral Home and moved slowly with their lights on along the quiet streets to the church
In one of the largest funerals ever in McHenry County, more than 150 of Bigalke's fellow police officers had come to escort the casket of their comrade, who died Friday of pancreatic cancer, two days before his 50th birthday.
As the squads approached the church, they peeled off in two directions to encircle the red stone building. On both sides of the church steps, police officers in their dress uniforms stood at attention, some teary-eyed, others biting their lips to hold back the tears.
The officers solemnly followed the casket and family into the church as a police bagpipe team filled the air with haunting music.
The officers--police chiefs, lieutenants, detectives, patrol officers, undercover drug agents who surfaced for the day--joined 500 other friends and relatives who filled the church well beyond its capacity of 400.
"Whether you knew Pete as a police officer or a parishioner, there was one quality of his that stood out: faith," Monsignor Philip E. O'Neil, pastor of Sacred Heart, said of the soft-spoken man who had been a Marengo police officer for nearly 25 years and chief for more than a decade.
"He had a great caring and love for other people," said O'Neil. " He had compassion. He treated everybody with the same respect."
Rev. William Wentink, a chaplain for Rockford police and the FBI, told of Bigalke's honesty and courage.
"You knew him as a man who would be the first officer to go into a dangerous building," said Wentink. "He was going to retire on his 50th birthday. When I visited him in the hospital a couple of weeks ago, his last words were, `Tell them to be excellent police officers. Tell them to be understanding with the people they work with.' "
Steve McArdle, an attorney and close friend of Bigalke's, spoke about Bigalke's thoroughness as an investigator, his sense of humor and his concern for children and victims of domestic violence.
"He never took an action because it was trendy or politically expedient," said McArdle, a former assistant state's attorney. "He made decisions for the police department and the citizens of Marengo because they were just plain right."
After mourners sent the casket out of the church with verses from "On Eagle's Wings" and "Be Not Afraid," they joined the procession to Sacred Heart Cemetery in Marengo.
"Tell the people that Pete was a fantastic guy. He was always there when you needed him, no matter what time of night it was," said former McHenry County Sheriff George Hendle, who traveled from his retirement home near Farmington, Mo., to the funeral.
Under a green tent, with a cold air sweeping the cemetery, Bigalke was laid to rest with his family around him--his wife, Grace; his daughter, Amy; his twin brother, Michael; his sister, Mary, his mother, Blanche, and several nieces and nephews, as two members of the Marengo High School band played taps and the bagpipe team played "Amazing Grace.
POLICE CHIEF REMEMBERED HUNDREDS ATTEND FUNERAL OF MARENGO'S TOP COP : Newspaper Obituary and Death Notice
Chicago Tribune (IL) - March 25, 1997
Deceased Name: POLICE CHIEF REMEMBERED HUNDREDS ATTEND FUNERAL OF MARENGO'S TOP COP
Words of praise for the late Pete Bigalke flowed Monday through Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Marengo, but the greatest tribute to the community's deceased police chief started six blocks away.
More than 70 squad cars from as far away as Cedar Falls, Iowa, formed a funeral procession at the Marengo-Union Funeral Home and moved slowly with their lights on along the quiet streets to the church
In one of the largest funerals ever in McHenry County, more than 150 of Bigalke's fellow police officers had come to escort the casket of their comrade, who died Friday of pancreatic cancer, two days before his 50th birthday.
As the squads approached the church, they peeled off in two directions to encircle the red stone building. On both sides of the church steps, police officers in their dress uniforms stood at attention, some teary-eyed, others biting their lips to hold back the tears.
The officers solemnly followed the casket and family into the church as a police bagpipe team filled the air with haunting music.
The officers--police chiefs, lieutenants, detectives, patrol officers, undercover drug agents who surfaced for the day--joined 500 other friends and relatives who filled the church well beyond its capacity of 400.
"Whether you knew Pete as a police officer or a parishioner, there was one quality of his that stood out: faith," Monsignor Philip E. O'Neil, pastor of Sacred Heart, said of the soft-spoken man who had been a Marengo police officer for nearly 25 years and chief for more than a decade.
"He had a great caring and love for other people," said O'Neil. " He had compassion. He treated everybody with the same respect."
Rev. William Wentink, a chaplain for Rockford police and the FBI, told of Bigalke's honesty and courage.
"You knew him as a man who would be the first officer to go into a dangerous building," said Wentink. "He was going to retire on his 50th birthday. When I visited him in the hospital a couple of weeks ago, his last words were, `Tell them to be excellent police officers. Tell them to be understanding with the people they work with.' "
Steve McArdle, an attorney and close friend of Bigalke's, spoke about Bigalke's thoroughness as an investigator, his sense of humor and his concern for children and victims of domestic violence.
"He never took an action because it was trendy or politically expedient," said McArdle, a former assistant state's attorney. "He made decisions for the police department and the citizens of Marengo because they were just plain right."
After mourners sent the casket out of the church with verses from "On Eagle's Wings" and "Be Not Afraid," they joined the procession to Sacred Heart Cemetery in Marengo.
"Tell the people that Pete was a fantastic guy. He was always there when you needed him, no matter what time of night it was," said former McHenry County Sheriff George Hendle, who traveled from his retirement home near Farmington, Mo., to the funeral.
Under a green tent, with a cold air sweeping the cemetery, Bigalke was laid to rest with his family around him--his wife, Grace; his daughter, Amy; his twin brother, Michael; his sister, Mary, his mother, Blanche, and several nieces and nephews, as two members of the Marengo High School band played taps and the bagpipe team played "Amazing Grace.
Chicago Tribune (IL) - March 25, 1997
Deceased Name: POLICE CHIEF REMEMBERED HUNDREDS ATTEND FUNERAL OF MARENGO'S TOP COP
Words of praise for the late Pete Bigalke flowed Monday through Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Marengo, but the greatest tribute to the community's deceased police chief started six blocks away.
More than 70 squad cars from as far away as Cedar Falls, Iowa, formed a funeral procession at the Marengo-Union Funeral Home and moved slowly with their lights on along the quiet streets to the church
In one of the largest funerals ever in McHenry County, more than 150 of Bigalke's fellow police officers had come to escort the casket of their comrade, who died Friday of pancreatic cancer, two days before his 50th birthday.
As the squads approached the church, they peeled off in two directions to encircle the red stone building. On both sides of the church steps, police officers in their dress uniforms stood at attention, some teary-eyed, others biting their lips to hold back the tears.
The officers solemnly followed the casket and family into the church as a police bagpipe team filled the air with haunting music.
The officers--police chiefs, lieutenants, detectives, patrol officers, undercover drug agents who surfaced for the day--joined 500 other friends and relatives who filled the church well beyond its capacity of 400.
"Whether you knew Pete as a police officer or a parishioner, there was one quality of his that stood out: faith," Monsignor Philip E. O'Neil, pastor of Sacred Heart, said of the soft-spoken man who had been a Marengo police officer for nearly 25 years and chief for more than a decade.
"He had a great caring and love for other people," said O'Neil. " He had compassion. He treated everybody with the same respect."
Rev. William Wentink, a chaplain for Rockford police and the FBI, told of Bigalke's honesty and courage.
"You knew him as a man who would be the first officer to go into a dangerous building," said Wentink. "He was going to retire on his 50th birthday. When I visited him in the hospital a couple of weeks ago, his last words were, `Tell them to be excellent police officers. Tell them to be understanding with the people they work with.' "
Steve McArdle, an attorney and close friend of Bigalke's, spoke about Bigalke's thoroughness as an investigator, his sense of humor and his concern for children and victims of domestic violence.
"He never took an action because it was trendy or politically expedient," said McArdle, a former assistant state's attorney. "He made decisions for the police department and the citizens of Marengo because they were just plain right."
After mourners sent the casket out of the church with verses from "On Eagle's Wings" and "Be Not Afraid," they joined the procession to Sacred Heart Cemetery in Marengo.
"Tell the people that Pete was a fantastic guy. He was always there when you needed him, no matter what time of night it was," said former McHenry County Sheriff George Hendle, who traveled from his retirement home near Farmington, Mo., to the funeral.
Under a green tent, with a cold air sweeping the cemetery, Bigalke was laid to rest with his family around him--his wife, Grace; his daughter, Amy; his twin brother, Michael; his sister, Mary, his mother, Blanche, and several nieces and nephews, as two members of the Marengo High School band played taps and the bagpipe team played "Amazing Grace.
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