Today, the City of Batavia Police Department honored its deceased retirees at the 5th annual City of Batavia Flag Commemoration Ceremony. This event started in 2022 under the leadership of Police Chief Shawn Heubusch.

The Ceremony is held annually in May and honors the deceased who served with, and retired from, the City of Batavia Police Department with 20+ years of service. Our records show over 50 deceased members laid to rest at numerous cemeteries all around Genesee County and our area. Each year in May, retired and/or current City of Batavia Police Department Members travel to all the sites of the deceased and place BPD Flags and holders at their grave site. This year Retired Youth Detective Richard Schauf, Retired Dispatcher Steve Robinson and Retired Lieutenant Greg Steele placed the flags.

H. E. Turner & Co. Funeral Home generously donates the flags, flag holders and placards each year. The Batavia Police Benevolent Association donated the yellow carnations that were provided to family/loved ones of the deceased at this ceremony. 

This years event was held in front of the St. Joseph Mausoleum located at the St. Joseph Cemetery on Ellicott Street, Batavia. 

Laid to rest in this Mausoleum are retired members: 

Robert DeFreze, Frank Lachnicht, Anthony Monteleone, Richard Pastecki, Frank Rodon, Gasper (Sam) Baudanza and Edward Santora.

Below is a list of names that the City of Batavia Police Department has in their records of deceased members who retired from the City of Batavia Police Department with over 20 years of service. To all deceased members, we thank you for your service and may you rest in peace:

James Aquino, Clarence Bates, Harley Bort, James Burdett, Robert Casper Sr., Thomas Cummerton, Robert Currier, Earl Davis, Albert DelBridge, Robert DeToye, Robert Dombrowski, Thomas Donaghue, Larry Falkowski, John Gravante, Forrest Gray, Matty Hamera, Arthur Hofmaster, Anthony Horsch, Dawson Kendall, Daniel Kopper, William Krantz, Edward Kulikowski, Edward LaValley, William Lewis, Arthur Luplow, Andrew McCulley, George McCurdy, David Mullen, Peter Nichols, Angelo Paradise, Arthur Richenburg, Roger Richardson, Mark Robinson, Bernard Ronan, David Ronan, Frank Rugala, Carl Salway, Salvatore Sanfratello, Thomas Sanfratello, Lloyd (Bud) Silvernail, Milford Smith, Stanley Smith, Neal Smock, Charles Snell, Herbert Snyder, Frank Spiotta, Richard Vanderwalker, and Jane Wistners.

Thank you to all who attended and assisted with this event. 

If you are aware of any individuals who served with the City of Batavia Police Department for over 20 years, are now deceased and laid to rest in the Genesee County area and are not listed above please reach out to Becky Patterson rpatterson@batavianewyork.com to provide their information. Thank you.