SAVING GRACIE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 35
grew up in the same neighborhood as Nichie before they both joined the academy to become officers within their hometown.
It was the perfect opportunity for these Lakewood officers to make Nichie proud by standing in to support his daughter during a milestone he would have never missed. While Gracie’ s mind focused on following all the sit-stand cues practiced in rehearsal, the Lakewood officers stood hidden on the side of the stage, waiting for her class to rise and begin receiving their diplomas.
Lisa watched each of the officers file into the gymnasium and couldn’ t believe that so many had taken the time to be there. Her eyes watered, knowing that her husband was grinning down on the scene.
“ When they saw me up in the stands, I stood up and put my hand over my heart just to say thank you so much,” she recalled.
Gracie felt like just another name being called when she walked across the stage to accept her diploma and shake hands with the school principal. But as she followed the student in front of her back into the audience, the Lakewood officers jumped to grab her attention, embracing her in a hug before she could even process what was happening. She hurried to keep in line with her class, but her head was on a swivel, looking back at the officers with a big smile on her face.
“ I couldn’ t stop smiling,” Gracie declared.“ At first, I thought graduating middle school’ s not that important, but when they came I was like,‘ oh this is important now, because they’ re here.’”
It’ s a moment that Kelusak, D’ Elia and the other Local 71 members won’ t forget, knowing that they made all the difference for their brother’ s daughter by simply being there. They didn’ t just show up, though. The officers waited with the sign and bouquet of flowers to present to Gracie after the ceremony, and as they exited the building, Lakewood patrol vehicles were prominently lined up front and center, as if to say to the Preslars,“ we’ re here for you.”
“ It just makes me realize that they’ ll always be there no matter what,” Gracie stated.“ No matter how long it’ s been.”
Just one month earlier, the Preslar family was given another reminder that no longer how much time passes since Nichie’ s end of watch on May 14, 2007, Local 71 is always there for them, and they never forget.
On May 7, Route 528 in Lakewood became a memorial highway. Lisa, Gracie and Julia Preslar gathered on the side of the road with members of Local 71 for the unveiling ceremony of the William“ Nichie” Preslar Memorial Highway. Chief Meyer, Preslar and D’ Elia all spoke at the gathering, calling to mind the sacrifice that was made by an honorable man in that location. Memorial highway signs now stand on each side of Route 528.
“ It’ s been 10 years and there’ s not a day that goes by that I don’ t think of him,” shared D’ Elia, who passes Nichie’ s locker every day he goes into work, still locked and untouched as a tribute to the officer and friend they lost.“ It’ s a constant reminder and a symbol that he’ s still there in spirit.”
Preslar couldn’ t help but feel a little bit more whole as she stood on the side of the highway at the memorial sign unveiling and sat in the stands at her daughter’ s graduation, knowing that Local 71 has stepped up above and beyond the line of duty to be there for their family.
“ Nothing will ever replace their father, but having them there made it so it wasn’ t that...‘ ugh, it’ s just me again,’ feeling,” Preslar explained.“ Julia and I both looked at each other and said, you know what, I feel his presence. Your father has got to be so damn proud of his friends and brothers that they would do this for his kid.” d
36 NEW JERSEY COPS ■ JULY 2017