Robert A. Gerrity

Chief Robert A. Gerrity, So. Abington Twp. Police (Ret.), passed away on Monday morning at Hospice of the Sacred Heart, Dunmore, surrounded by his loving family. He retired in June 2023 after having served as a law enforcement officer in Lackawanna County for more than fifty years.

Bob, or "Doc" as he was commonly referred to by his friends and colleagues, was born in April 1954 and raised in Archbald Pa., son of the late Robert E. Gerrity and Mary (Daley) Gerrity, and was a member of Our Lady of the Snows Parish, Clarks Summit. He is survived by his loving wife and best friend, Dr. Miriam C. O'Malley.

Bob attended St. Thomas Aquinas grade school and was a member of the last ever freshman class at the former Archbald High School. Bob graduated from Valley View High School in 1972, and received a scholarship to the University of Scranton, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology with honors. In 1978, he attended the first ever Municipal Police Officer's Training and Education Commission Act 120 class at Lackawanna College, and upon graduation received the High Academic award. Thirteen years later, after being appointed Chief of Police in So. Abington Twp., he completed the Police Executive Institute at Penn State University and also attended numerous police-related training and education seminars throughout his lengthy career. Bob was raised in a law enforcement family, with his father being a policeman in Archbald and his only brother, Edward, being a special agent with the FBI.

Bob always had a strong work ethic and was very community minded, having lived practically his entire life in service to others. Simply put, he loved helping people. He began working as a newspaper carrier at age eleven, and always held at least one job from that time up until the time he retired. At age fourteen, he began working as a part-time police, fire and ambulance dispatcher for Archbald Borough. In addition to this, he worked nights and weekends at a local service station, and during the summer months worked as a laborer and truck driver for the Archbald Borough DPW. He also became a licensed school bus driver, and drove school buses for many years for both the Valley View and Abington Heights School Districts. At age nineteen, while a full-time student at the University of Scranton, he managed to convince then Mayor Joseph Quinn to appoint him as a part-time patrolman with the Archbald Borough Police Dept., making him the youngest police officer in Lackawanna County at that time. Although classified as a part-time employee, he regularly worked forty or more hours per week, while still managing to attend college on a full-time basis. In November of 1973, Bob ran a successful write-in campaign for Constable in Archbald Borough's second ward, surprising many people by handily defeating a party-endorsed candidate. In addition to a challenging schedule of work, attending college, and performing the duties of Constable, Bob was a very active member of the Archbald Community Ambulance and Rescue Squad, and spent many hours assisting in the construction their new headquarters building. He was also an active member of Archbald Hose Co. # 1, where he served as both a firefighter and truck driver. Bob was a huge supporter of veterans, and for almost twenty years helped plan the route and coordinate all traffic control for the "Salute to Veterans" motorcycle ride to benefit the Gino Merli Veterans Center. Additionally, he was a member of the Sons of the American Legion, Squadron 328, Archbald Pa..

In 1978, after working five years as a part-time officer for the Archbald Police Dept., Bob accepted a job offer as a full-time police officer with the So. Abington Twp. Police Dept., and subsequently moved to So. Abington Twp.. He always took pride in his work and quickly became known as being both an excellent patrol officer and a skilled investigator, participating in many major investigations, up to and including homicide cases. His hard work and capabilities did not go unnoticed and, in May of 1991, Bob was appointed Chief of Police in So. Abington Twp., a position he would hold for the next thirty-two years.

Throughout his entire career as Chief of Police, Bob strove to professionalize municipal law enforcement throughout Lackawanna County. A problem which he and other Chiefs recognized was a lack of communication and information sharing between various local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. In an attempt to address this and other issues, he and several other Police Chiefs met on a regular basis and ultimately formed the Lackawanna County Chiefs of Police Association, an accomplishment of which Bob was extremely proud. The Chiefs Association holds monthly meetings which are attended by Police Chiefs from Lackawanna County and guests from other law enforcement agencies and, due to the exchange of information and increased interagency cooperation, many crimes have been solved which otherwise may not have been. The Chiefs Association, in conjunction with the Lackawanna County District Attorney's Office, also assumed oversite of both the Lackawanna County Drug Task Force and the newly reorganized Lackawanna County SWAT Team. Bob held every elected office in the Chiefs Association at one time or another, and served as President of the Association for ten years, during which time he also served as commander of the Lackawanna County SWAT team. In addition to the Lackawanna County Chiefs of Police Association, he was a life member of the Northeast Pa. Chiefs of Police Association, where he served on numerous committees and boards. He was a lifetime member of the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association and served two terms on the Executive Board, representing fellow Police Chiefs from counties throughout Northeast and Central Pa.. He also served on the training, education, and legislative committees of the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association, and was an active member of Northeastern Lodge 63, Fraternal Order of Police. Under Bob's leadership, the South Abington Twp. Police Dept. established the first ever School Resource Officer program in Lackawanna County, and also taught the D.A.R.E. program to countless students in both the Abington Heights School District and Our Lady of Peace School.

Bob's approach to being a successful Police Chief was to lead by example and to encourage input and ideas from his officers as well. He had high expectations of every police officer who served under him and, although he could be demanding at times, he was also known as being the kind of person who would do virtually anything for anyone whenever possible, whether it be on a professional or personal level. Bob was never one to sit behind a desk and was described by fellow officers as being a "cop's cop", who loved to be in the thick of things. He would never ask his officers to do something that he would not do himself, and was often the first officer through the door in dangerous situations. He was very well-liked and highly respected in the law enforcement community, and was extremely proud of the officers, accomplishments, and reputation of the So. Abington Twp Police Dept..

Bob's love for police work was only surpassed by his love of family. He was extremely proud of his son, Robert Jr., a combat-wounded veteran who served twelve years in the military, including three combat tours. Like his father, grandfather and uncle, Robert Jr. went on to pursue a career in law enforcement as a Pa. State Parole Agent. His grandson Nicholas was the light of his life, and "Pop" loved watching him grow up and treasured every minute of time that they spent together. His wife Miriam, who he met later in life, was his soulmate, but most importantly, she was the best friend he ever had. He loved spending time with her. She was always there for him, both in good times and bad. A day never went by that they didn't tell each other "I love you"', and they always fell asleep at night while holding hands. He described her as the most wonderful woman he had ever known, and his love for her was beyond measure. If Bob had just one wish, it would have been to turn back the clock so that hopefully he could have found Miriam sooner and loved her longer. In addition to his human family, Bob will be deeply missed by Reilly, his loyal pet and faithful K-9 companion of many years, who was constantly by his side.

Bob felt extremely honored and blessed to have such a large number of friends, both inside and outside of the law enforcement community. It seemed as if everywhere he went, he would run into someone he knew. He had many fond memories of growing up in Archbald, where he formed many great friendships that lasted a lifetime. Among those lifelong friends are Tony, Ding, Pat, Jerry, Al, Dougie, Robbie, Moo, and Gil , to name just a few. They shared countless adventures growing up together, and Bob truly enjoyed talking and laughing about those times whenever he got together with his friends. With the formation of the Valley View school district in 1970, Bob's circle of friends grew even larger, and he made even more good friends from the Blakely and Jessup areas.

In his late-thirties, Bob's teenage interest in riding motorcycles returned and he became an avid motorcycle enthusiast, owning several Harley Davidson touring bikes over the years. He and a group of close-knit friends logged thousands of miles on their bikes, and looked forward to their yearly motorcycle adventures, riding to such places as the Outer Banks, Virginia Beach, Myrtle Beach, Daytona Beach, the mountains of W. Virginia and Tennessee, plus all of the New England states. They also rode extensively throughout Canada, even travelling to Nova Scotia to ride the famous "Cabot Trail." Out of all their destinations, Bob enjoyed Mackinaw Island and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan the best. His "biker buddies" included Fran, John, Billy, Dennis, Tony and his deceased friend Jack. He liked to refer to them as his "brothers from different mothers." Bob also enjoyed fishing trips to Canada, as well as an occasional round of golf in his younger years.

Some of his best times ever were had at Abington Body Shop, where he would enjoy having a beer with his beloved friends Buzzy and Jimmy Jackson and the rest of the body shop crew. Despite a few "bumps in the road" during his lifetime, Bob had a true love for life and managed to squeeze one hundred years of living into just 71 years. After he retired, he made it a point to get together with friends for coffee and conversation on an almost daily basis.

In addition to his wife Miriam, Bob is survived by his son Robert Jr., Enola Pa., grandson Nicholas , brother Edward Gerrity (Ann), Yardley Pa., niece Stephanie Gerrity and family, Levittown Pa., nephews Brian Gerrity (Amy) and family, Wake Forest NC, Kevin Gerrity (Katherine) and family, Southlake TX, Colin Gerrity (Sophia) and family, Penndel Pa., brother-in-law Jeffrey O'Malley (Julie) and family, Beaumont TX, and father-in-law Gerard O'Malley, Clarks Summit Pa..

He was predeceased by his oldest nephew and godson, Shawn Gerrity of Levittown. Bob was raised in a large extended family, and is also survived by numerous relatives.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Tuesday, January 20th at 9:30 a.m. at Church of Saint Benedict, 1849 Newton-Ransom Blvd., Newton Township. Interment will follow at Cathedral Cemetery, Scranton. Friends may pay their respects at the church on Monday, January 19th from 3 pm to 6 pm.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Humane Society, Griffin Pond Animal Shelter, Tunnel To Towers, or the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 63 Wellness Account.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Lawrence E. Young Funeral Home and Cremation Services Inc., 418 S. State Street, Clarks Summit.