Former Marion County Sheriff Robert Craft, who served in the role from 2008 until his death from COVID-19 on Feb. 19, 2022, was honored on Saturday, Aug. 3 by the End of Watch Ride to Remember at the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.
Motorcycle riders escorted a 40-foot rolling memorial that displays photos of fallen officers to the front of the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. The End of Watch Ride to Remember travels the country to honor Law Enforcement Officers who have died in the line of duty. They are part of the Beyond the Call of Duty organization who serve to ensure that no officer is forgotten and also supports department safety and training to help lower the number of fallen officers each year.
The group is on a 73-day trip that travels through 45 states and around 23,000 miles visiting 254 agencies across the country.
“We stop at agencies that lost one of these men and women in the line of duty to honor them and their families and their communities and to help keep their memories alive, share their stories, and support their families. We just love to be here and be able to hear stories about them,” said Beyond the Call of Duty Organizer Allison McCarter. “People stop and they wanna know more about these men and women which is a good thing. We know that locally, his [Craft’s] family and friends don’t need any type of reminder of who he was, but we figured that the rest of the country needs to know who all these men and women are and to know the sacrifices that were made so we keep showing them.”
Craft’s family and friends along with officers and members of the public were present to honor the former Sheriff.
Current Sheriff Jeff Soyez said, “I think it’s a sad day. It’s a reminder, a needed realization. This happens every day across the United States. And it’s a pretty daunting task, I would think, on these people’s side to travel in the United States and make sure that these people are not forgotten.”
Sarah Cope, who served as his office manager gave a few words about Craft for those in attendance.
“For those of you who didn’t know Rob, he was a great guy. He was sincere. He did not like the limelight and he worked from behind the scenes. He didn’t want the glory. He told me that at the end of the day we just have to remember that we’ve done all that we can do and that we’ve done our job right. He made sure that every day he gave it all he could give. His legacy will live on through this building that he designed. He had a vision, and he made it happen. He was a great boss, but even more than that, he was one of my best friends. And he will live on in all of our hearts forever. Not only do I wanna pay tribute to Rob today but to all the following on this service. Because those people gave their lives doing what they love and to help and protect us,” said Cope.
After Cope spoke, Craft’s wife Jan placed a rose next to his picture on the memorial and then family members traced their handprints and wrote messages on a banner to honor their loved one. Jan embraced family and friends and thanked them for coming.
“It’s very emotional and touching. It’s been, like, two and a half years now, but it is still hard. These people are always there for you. And it helps a lot, the grieving process,” said Jan. “And this today. I didn’t realize they did this. They’re an awesome group.”
