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Colerain police honoring sergeant who died from brain cancer

Posted at 5:59 PM, Aug 15, 2017
and last updated 2017-08-15 18:17:36-04

COLERAIN TOWNSHIP, Ohio -- The Colerain Township Police Department is preparing to honor one of its founding members.

Sgt. Jerry Grayson died Friday of glioblastoma, a type of brain cancer.

It was the Saturday Labor Day weekend and Grayson was headed to work when he felt the first symptom. He had weakness in his right side and was unable to move his right leg.

His wife, Noel Grayson, was at his side when they go the news: it was an aggressive and incurable brain cancer. She was eight months pregnant then.

Noel Grayson said her husband celebrated the arrival of their daughter, even though he knew he'd soon be leaving her and so many others he loved.

"He was a very loyal, kind human being that put others first," she said.

Grayson's fellow officers agreed.

"I've worked with a lot of people in police work, including a lot of women, but he is probably the most sincere person I've ever worked with," Andy Demeropolis said.

Chief Mark Denney admitted he didn't even know how much Grayson gave until he got sick.

"Then we found out all the things that he was really handling for us, and he never told us all the work he did," Denney said.

The department retired Grayson's badge this month in a ceremony sharing memories and honoring their faithful sergeant.

"The outpouring of support from them has been amazing and overwhelming," Noel Grayson said. "We never felt alone for one second."

Now she's focusing on giving their children a happy childhood, as well as raising funds and awareness about this cancer.

She asked that anyone who wants to honor Grayson donate to either the St. Jude Children's Fund or the Greater Cincinnati Police Museum.

The funeral will be held Saturday morning and be followed by a police escort back to the department, where they will honor Grayson with a 21-gun salute. They're asking people to line the route along Colerain Avenue in support.

Denney said Grayson will "live on" in the police department.

"He'll still be here in our hallways and our briefing room, and he will be watching our for the guys as they drive the police cars," Denney said. "He won't be forgotten."