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Letter: Burke Rhoads: A man with no shortage of fans
Op-Ed · March 19, 2015
An emotional and dramatic series of events has played out this week in the central Kentucky community of Nicholasville, all in remembrance of a fallen police officer who, as a boy, came of age in West Branch before pursuing his lifelong dream of a law enforcement career.
The “end of watch” for Officer Burke Jevon Rhoads, 35, came early on March 11 on a foggy Kentucky highway, where his police cruiser was clipped by another vehicle, spinning it into oncoming traffic, where it was struck by an SUV. A veteran of the Nicholasville Police Department since 2008, badge No. 574 died of his injuries, leaving behind his wife Melissa and their two sons, Bryan and Kevin, and a daughter, Jacquelyn. He is also survived by his parents Carolyn of Iowa City and Mark of Arizona. Burke also leaves behind three sisters, Tristin and Miki, who live in Iowa City, and Tera, a U.S. Marine officer now stationed in Bahrain.
The Rhoads family lived for many years just west of Morse, on Rapid Creek Road, where they oversaw a Christmas tree farm that was Burke’s pride and joy. As a boy he loved tinkering with everything, from his seen-better-days German sports car to antique tractors that hadn’t pulled a plow for decades. Burke was known for always having a smile on his face, both as a boy and throughout his tragically shortened life. After graduating from West Branch High School in 1997, Burke began chasing his dream of being a police officer by enlisting in the U.S. Army for military police training. In March of 1998 he was assigned to the 511th Military Police Company, stationed in Fort Drum in upper state New York. After being discharged in the fall of 2003, he relocated his family to Kentucky with plans to pursue a college degree in law enforcement studies.
In addition to his immediate families, Burke leaves behind the grieving community of Nicholasville, where he was universally admired and respected. “His fellow officers simply adored Burke,” a tribute written by the True Blue Warriors organization notes. “Officer Rhoads was a good friend not only to those he worked with but also many, many citizens he protected. Officer Rhoads took time and went out his way to get to know the citizens and made sure they knew how much they all mattered to him.”
For a week now, the massive outpouring of community sympathy and support in Nicholasville has included everything from a giant electronic billboard bearing Burke’s image to the townspeople decorating their homes and businesses with strings of blue LED lights. Turnout at memorial services was expected to be so high – thousands, some predicted with confidence – that eight hours of visitation were scheduled for Monday, with an honor guard gravesite service scheduled for Tuesday at the nearby Camp Nelson National Cemetery. The Nicholasville Police Department has established a memorial fund that will funnel contributions to Burke’s family.
Burke’s death has devastated many, including my daughter Emilie and my son Tim, who was three when he first met Burke, who was then five. Our family lived across the road from Burke’s family for nearly 20 years, with the six kids on both sides of Rapid Creek Road becoming more or less inseparable. It’s no exaggeration to say that, son Tim, now 33, remains the unofficial president of the Burke Rhoads Fan Club, of which there is clearly no shortage of members.
Tom Walsh, Gouldsboro, Maine
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