Family, friends and fellow police officers spoke at Officer Ron Tarentino’s funeral in Charlton Friday, remembering him as a man who loved his job and was dedicated to his community.
Thousands came to St. Joseph’s Church to pay their respects to the 42-year-old officer, who was killed in the line of duty.
Waves of police officers formed a sea of blue, saying goodbye to a fallen brother.
As a sign of respect, officers from several states stood by while the family of Tarentino arrived in the procession.
One officer drove nine hours from Baltimore. He attended Tewksbury High School with Tarentino.
“He was the kindest kid I knew, he always had a good heart,” Maryland Park Ranger Charles Holmes said.
He had been a police officer in Auburn for two years and before that was an officer in Leicester for seven years.
Tarentino’s younger sister, Caitlin, delivered the eulogy. She called her brother her hero and said he was a great police officer.
“I was so proud of my brother becoming a police officer,” said Caitlin Tarentino. “Doing the job he did and how he did it takes a lot out of a person but he was always strong and never complained.”
Tarentino’s childhood friend Chris Leen also spoke, and said Tarentino was loved by everyone he met. “I selfishly like to refer to Ronnie as my best friend, but it’s obvious that he was everybody’s best friend,” said Leen.
Leicester Police Sgt. Paul Doray drew some smiles and laughs from the crowd when he shared a story about one of Tarentino’s first calls. Doray said Tarentino was so excited to apprehend a breaking-and-entering suspect that he made a turn too fast in his cruiser and hit a curb, ending up with two flat tires.
His three sons also came to the front of the church. Ronald Tarentino III is in the Army, Spencer graduates from high school next week and Kyle is a freshman in high school. Spencer Tarentino told the mourners that his father was his best friend.
“I can tell you all that my dad loved you very much,” said Spencer. “Everybody. That’s why my dad did his job.”
Before the funeral, Tarentino’s widow Tricia spoke outside the church, where she thanked everyone for their support. Tricia Tarentino thanked police and fire departments, friends and family and the community for all they have done, calling the support a “blessing.”
“Words cannot express the deep gratitude we have for the outpouring of support,” she said. “We have been blessed by all the thoughts, prayers, meals, flowers, signs, services donated and vigils that were so moving to watch.”
She also thanked the residents of Rochdale Street who came to her husband’s aide after he was shot and the first responders, doctors and nurses who took care of him. Tricia Tarentino then offered her best wishes to the state trooper who was injured in the shootout in Oxford. That shootout took the life of Jorge Zambrano, the man who shot her husband at a traffic stop in Auburn.
She said she was amazed to see how many lives her husband had touched.
“Ron would be so touched to see how much he was loved,” said Tarentino.
Tarentino was laid to rest in a private burial at a cemetery in Leicester.
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