to combine the two to engage people in the process, and I
think many of his students found it incredibly fascinating.”
Many of those students attended the visitation when Calissi
passed, and it was one of those nights that didn’t want to end.
Friends, colleagues, officers and former students waited in
line for hours for, as Fredericks said, “Everyone had their own
story to share about how Ron touched their lives.”
One of those stories recounted how Calissi was a champion
weightlifter for FDU in the 1960s, and that was easy to believe
for anybody who ever shook his hand and felt his powerful,
embracing, yet endearing, grip. Another told of the day in 2007
when he was at a drugstore in Wyckoff, saw a boy choking on a
piece of candy and helped save his life.
And of course there were many who reminded Ron lived a
miracle for how EMTs saved him when his van collided with a
truck and he shattered his leg and broke several ribs in 1990.
Miraculously, he was back at work at the Academy 30 days later.
As for tributes, well, Schuber says his is ongoing. He walks
into the hallway where Calissi’s office at FDU was located,
“and I still expect to walk in and see him,” he said. “That and
the fact the he brings a smile to your face every time you think
of him is a tribute he would be delighted with.”
Clearly, Calissi continues to “edutain” all who knew and
loved him. And he has left Fredericks with a lifelong lasting
impression.
“I think his legacy is to remind us to get in the game of life,”
she honored. “Don’t hold back. Keep raising the bar. And if you
are going to look back, just check your taillights and keep on
moving forward.” d
72
NEW JERSEY COPS
■ NOVEMBER 2016