It was more than just a community that rallied in support of injured Officer Greg Surles and his family.Over the past three weeks, that rally of support extended well beyond the city limits of the community he served.
For those same three weeks, the Pell City police officer languished in critical condition before succumbing to injuries suffered in a traffic accident while he was on routine patrol. He died Friday at the age of 29.
He leaves behind a wife, a 4-year-old daughter and an 11-week-old daughter, but he also leaves behind a network of lives he touched, of friends, family and colleagues who were proud to say they knew him.
And those who didn’t even know him reached out in support, contributing blood, participating in a variety of fundraisers and sending in dollars to a special bank fund set up for the family.
It was the kind of outpouring of emotional support usually reserved for a high profile personality because they feel like they know that person.
For Surles, perhaps they felt they knew him, too. They knew the pain of loss to a young family. They knew of the courage it takes to put your life on the line every day in service to a community. And they knew just how fragile life can be.
Today, flags fly at half staff in honor and remembrance of a beloved police officer — a life lived serving others and lost much, much too soon.
