A Hero in Life, Not Death ...

38 years ago in the early morning hours of June 29th 1968, my dad Constable Samuel E. Ankenmann failed to return from his shift with the Sebringville Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police. At the age of 40, his life ended in a tragic car crash while on duty ...

Today Dad's memory is honoured in several places in Canada.

In Ottawa, over looking the Rideau River stands a memorial the hundreds of Peace Officers who have died on duty in the service of Canada. (http://www.cacp.ca/english/memoriam/english/default.htm)

In Toronto, just across the street from the Ontario Legislature stands a memorial that honours those officers who have fallen in the service of the Province of Ontario. The Ontario Provincial Police Association maintains a memorial at their Headquarters in Orillia Ontario and the names inscribed there are listed online as well. (http://www.oppa.on.ca/honour_roll/officers/index.html)

My dad's name is found on the OPPA site at: http://www.oppa.on.ca/honour_roll/officers/l0001.html

Above are the photos that I took last spring when Rebekkah and I visited the Memorial Site in Toronto on May 1st. The Annual Memorial service had ended a few hours earlier, the wreaths remained in place, and the flags still flew at half mast.

Photos and images of the 2005 Memorial Service are found at:http://www.pbase.com/clarkwil/memorial

That day in downtown Toronto, with tears in my eyes, I showed Rebekkah where her Grandfather's name was inscribed on the vast granite panels ... later that week we stood in the Cemetery across from Lingelbach United Church on 7&8 Highway outside of Shakespeare Ontario, where 38 years ago this week an Honour Guard of over 100 Uniformed Officers bid farewell to a fellow officer, a husband, a father, a brother and a friend ... we laid flowers on Dad's grave.

Today my dad like other fallen officers remains A HERO IN LIFE NOT DEATH !!