2016 NJSPBA
Civilian
Gold
Medal
Valor Awards
The legacy of a family hero
James Clarke
The 2016 Valor Awards hit a thundering crescendo when a room full
of New Jersey law enforcement heroes gave a standing ovation for a
man who sacrificed his life to save
four boys from the ocean in Long
Beach. James Clarke was very much
present in spirit, especially as his wife, Jane Clarke, and her two
children stood before the standing ovation to accept the Civilian Award Gold Medal on his behalf.
James and his wife were sitting in the sand in front of their
beach house on June 6, when they realized that the boys swimming in the ocean looked like they were struggling to return
to the shoreline. Jane elbowed her husband, who was on the
phone doing business-as-usual, to bring his attention to the
swimmers. One of the boys stuck in the powerful riptide was
their son.
“He had no fear. He just jumped in,” Jane recalled with both
effervescent pride and deep sorrow. “He got up and he just ran
to the beach. He threw his phone down and that was it.”
In the final moments of James’ life, he became a hero, pulling
each and every one of the boys to safety before collapsing to the
sand. Six months have passed since the Clarkes were suddenly
brought to grief by the passing of the man who took great pride
in being the head of the household. Jane has found a way to
keep her husband’s spirit alive and pay tribute to him.
“When he died I had to like, dive into him,” she explained. “It
took everything I had in my being to keep up with him.”
It’s a major life adjustment that remains a work in progress.
Long Beach
Township Local 373
Civilian
Gold
Medal
Jane keeps her head up and stays strong for her children, a son
in high school and a daughter who lives away at college. Luckily, she has the support of the many people who shared friendships with James. “He died and I was like, ‘oh my god, I have to
catch up.’ It was really, really hard – it’s still hard.”
James Clarke is remembered for his larger-than-life personality, and unmistakable generosity that made him the type of
guy who was always the first to grab the bill at the dinner table.
But most of all, he’s remembered for those distinct characteristics that make a hero: fearlessness, strength, and the undoubted dedication to serve the ones he loves. For that, the New Jersey PBA saluted James Clarke and the robust legacy that lives
on in the hearts and minds of the many he influenced. d
Four Rutgers students defend
female from violent assault
Ricardo Mata
Nathaniel Onorato
Dante Figueroa
Mathew Marmaro
On May 4, Ricardo Mata,
Nathaniel Onorato, Dante
Figueroa and Mathew Marmaro were walking through
Middlesex County
Prosecutor’s Office
the Rutgers New Brunswick
Local 214
campus around 3:25 a.m.
They were on College Avenue near the Scott Hall bus stop when they heard the
cries of a woman screaming for help. They followed
the sound of the commotion. As they approached the
courtyard of Van Dyke Hall, they witnessed a male attempting to sexually assault a severely beaten female.
The four individuals ran toward the attack in progress, urging the male to leave the woman alone. Mata
and Figueroa chased after the suspect until the suspect
threatened that he had a gun and was willing to use it.
Mata called 9-1-1 while Onorato tended to the victim.
Marmaro also called 9-1-1 to report the incident. d
www.njcopsmagazine.com
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