Never Alone, Never Forgotten

“Mom, we always love you and miss you. Love, the family.”

Those were the words Marsiah Woods-Conner, 24, of Thibodaux, wrote atop the Vancouver Police Department Hummer parked in front of Lockport Middle School Friday. The vehicle made the stop in honor of her mother, Martha Woods-Shareef, a Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office deputy killed in the line of duty Aug. 20, 2008.

The ceremony was the second at which the fallen deputy had been honored. She and Thibodaux Police Captain Keith Paul Chaisson, who died March 10, 2008, from gunshot wounds sustained on the job years earlier, were recognized the previous night at a ceremony honoring the state’s fallen officers. Both officers’ names were added to the Louisiana Law Enforcement Officers Memorial at Lakelawn Cemetery.

The two Lafourche Parish officers were among eight added to the memorial.

Friday’s ceremony was less somber.

Driven by Vancouver Police Sgt. Steve Gibson, the Hummer has traveled 5,100 miles over 12 days, visiting 30 cities in 17 states. The trip began April 29 and ended Mother’s Day in Washington, D.C., for the start of National Law Enforcement Officers Week.

Gibson said the purpose of the trip is to bring awareness to the police officers killed in the line of duty.

Lockport Middle students and faculty joined Shareef’s family and friends as the Hummer pulled into the school parking lot. As a cool wind began to blow, fellow comrade Lockport Sheriff Warren Vedros said it was a beautiful day to honor the fallen Lafourche deputy.

“The wind blowing was her telling us she was OK,” Vedros said.

The former D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) officer worked at the school prior to returning to the patrol division shortly before her death.

“It’s a great way to remember her,” her husband Rashid Shareef said. “She is loved and missed very much. I’m just happy with all the positive feedback on how she touched so many people.”

Rashid Shareef said he and his late wife rarely went anywhere without running into someone whose life she had touched through the D.A.R.E. program. “She was really into her job, and loved making a difference,” he said.

Her daughter, Conner, agreed. “It’s just amazing to see how she touched so many other people besides her family. It means a lot,” she said. “She was a great woman, and I’m just glad she will always be remembered for doing what she loved.”

Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre said Shareef’s death still leaves a hole in the department.

“Martha was a person who made a huge difference in the lives of everyone around her,” he said. “For that, we are all thankful and forever grateful. It’s hard to believe that one individual can touch so many people the way she has.”

The sheriff recalled asking Shareef once if she could make a difference. “Her answer was ‘absolutely,'” he said.

Eighth grader Sloan Robichaux, who completed D.A.R.E. under Shareef’s instruction, said the deputy was instrumental in helping her learn to make good decisions.

“She was my bunkmate at Sheriff Webre’s camp, and we had a really good time,” Sloan said. “It’s something I will never forget. I’ll always remember her for the lessons she taught me and the way she got the message across.”

After a series of speeches, Rashid Shareef and Conner scripted a message to Shareef atop the Hummer.

Gibson said the idea for a traveling memorial began after 16 Vancouver officers were killed. He wanted to start a program to memorialize his fellow lawmen.

“We want to raise public awareness of the number of officers that lose their lives in the line of duty almost every day,” he said. “These are people who were no different than anyone else. All they were trying to do is protect their community.”

In 2008, 141 police officers were killed in the line of duty. Of those, 133 were from the United States, and eight were from Canada. All the names appeared on the hood of the hummer, listed by states.

“One police officer loses his or her life every three days,” Gibson told the crowd.

“With so many officers getting killed, half the time it doesn’t even make national news, it’s more of a local new story now,” he added. “But we want to make it national news. We want everyone to know just how many lives are sacrificed trying to keep us safe.”

Rashid Shareef, Conner and husband Kerry, and Martha Shareef’s sisters, Edith Scoby and Ida Hunt, are in Washington, D.C., today with members of the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Department for the memorial service. In addition to participating in a candlelight vigil, a conference is held for surviving family members of fallen police officers.

Thousands of lawmen from across the globe travel annually to attend the ceremony.

“Police Week takes on a particularly somber tone for this agency this year,” Webre said, “as Martha’s name joins Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies Chaney Joseph Champagne, Kurt “Woody” Harrelson and Thomas Procter on the Washington Law Enforcement Memorial. Our Honor Guard will participate in activities honoring all of the fallen officers and escort Martha’s family members to the many sessions planned for them.”

For the first time in its 21-year history, those unable to travel to Washington, D.C., will be able to view a live feed of the candlelight vigil ceremony via the Internet beginning at 7 p.m. tonight.

To register, go to www.nleomf.org/NPW2009. The national page honoring Shareef and other officers killed in the line of duty can be found at http://www/nleomf.com/TheMemorial/osearch.cgi.

Staff photo by Kyle Carrier / Tri-Parish Times Marsiah Woods-Conner, 24, of Thibodaux, pens a message on the memorial Humvee to her late mother, Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Deputy Martha Woods-Shareef, as her stepfather, Rashid Shareef looks on.