Today, I am privileged to honor and celebrate the life of my father. Police officer, sergeant, friend, uncle, brother, son, grandfather, father, husband, and Christian. These were the many roles my father fulfilled in his life.

My father served as a police officer, but being a police officer did not define him. Rather, he defined what it meant to be a police officer. He lived by the creed of duty & honor and fulfilled his oath to preserve, protect, and defend. But it is because of what he brought with him into the job - his integrity, his loyalty, and his honesty - that he will be remembered.

George Henely, a former partner, perhaps pays him the highest tribute: "With him, I never had to worry about my back." To many of his co-workers, and neighbors, my Father was the friend who would literally give you the shirt off of his back. Paul Stromberg recalls the time when my father was knee deep in water in Mr. Strombergs basement at four in the morning to help him repair a sump-pump.

Thats the kind of friend my father was.

However, of all of these roles, I can tell you, he most cherished the latter: husband, father, grandfather, and Christian. As a husband, my parents lived the perfect love-story. I recall my Father sharing with all of us that the very first time he ever laid eyes on my mother, he pointed her out to his friend, and said "I'm going to marry that girl." And indeed he did--on Feb 12, 1955.

My Mother has so many wonderful stories of the life she and my father shared for 47 years, but my most favorite I recall is that after each shift of work ended for my father, he'd come home and sit at the dinner table and drink his coffee. Mother would ask "how was your night?" He would always simply reply, "quiet." One time, the following evening on the news, my Mother saw Dad hand-cuffing several rough looking criminals involved in a shoot-out. Later she said to him, "good thing it was a quiet evening, huh?" He just smiled.

And this was the extent my to which my father brought his work home - except for one occasion. One Christmas Eve, when we were all very young, he came home for dinner during his shift, looking forelorn and saddened, and we all asked, "what's wrong Dad?" And Dad replied "...well, I had to shoot a burglar today, and what made it so sad is that the man was wearing a red suit, white beard, had this really big bulky bag, and was up on someones roof..."

Us kids didnt let him finish his story, because at that moment we all screamed "NO!! Dad, you didnt shoot SANTA?!"

Of course, he hadn't. Such was my dad's droll sense of humor. Most other time he was corny - a real corn ball.

Of my Father, the best piece of advice he ever gave me was when I was an early teenager, he told me, "it's not my job to be your friend, right now my job is to be your father. When you grow up and get out on your own, then I can be your friend."

I didn't know what that meant at the time, but I absolutely know what it means now. And can tell you, he was my friend, far longer than I realized.

Central to my Fathers character, was his deep and abiding commitment to his Christian faith. He talked of prayer like a man who'd prayed, and in the end, he taught us all our most important lesson in life... that we must leave this life as we lived it. And for my father, that was with dignity and grace.

He was a husband for 47 years.

A father for 45 years.

A grandfather for 22 years.

A police officer/sergeant for 24 years.

A friend always.

A Christian for forever.

Yet, for all the years my father walked this earth, I do not see him judged by the quantity of the years, but for the quality of his actions during those years.

My father not only taught me how to be a man, but most of all, he set the standard for being a husband, father and most of all, a Christian...

In closing, let me thank each of you for sharing my father with us. Thank you for keeping his spirit alive in your hearts and minds.

Perhaps you would agree as you look around today, that you can see my father in the many faces his children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

But most of all, you can see him in the places where he touched your heart.


Bill was the son of the late August Werner Frisch and Eleanor Mary Casey Frisch. He followed in death by his brother Allen Frisch (wife Kay), and predeceased by siblings Werner, Eleanor R. Gill, August W., Jr., Mary, Annie, Edna, Alan, Roberta, Robert (Bobby), and James (Jimmy) and grandson Joseph "Joey" I. Frisch.

He was also followed in death by his beloved wife, Barbara Nora Staiber Frisch of the home, who was reunited with him in heaven, June, 2008; children William, Jr. (Patty Curay) of Fl., Susan Frisch-Long (George) of Pa., Carol (Charlie McGrath) of La., Nancy (Kieran Martin) of Pa., Robert (Linda Lewis) of Ga., Andrew (Jeanine) of Fl.; grandchildren Billy, Patrick, and Matthew Frisch of Longwood, FL.; George (and wife Lisa), Eric (wife Pam), Laura, Michelle, and TJ Long of Upper Darby, Pa.; Jennifer, Elliot (and wife Lisa), and Matthew McGrath of New Oleans; Kieran, Rachel, and John Martin of Drexel Hill, Pa.; Lauren Lonergan (and husband Joe) of Wilmington, NC; 2nd Lt. Robert Zachary Frisch of Atlanta and wife Hannah; Nathan Frisch of Georgia; Drew, Jared, and Justin Frisch of St. Augustine, Fl.; and great-grandchildren, Noah Riley Cox, Avery Capri Lonergan, Joseph Tanner Lonergan all of Wilmington, NC; Sadie Emerson McGrath and Ronan McGrath of New Orleans, La., and Lexi, Charlie and Mikey Long of Drexel Hill, Pa.

Bill retired to Fort Lauderdale, Florida in 1994 where he and Barbara resided with many friends and family until January 2002 when he returned to Philadelphia, and was immediately admitted into the hospital where he passed away of Congestive Heart Failure soon after. He is very deeply missed! Until we meet again, Dad.