Detective Edward J. Roos

Dear Grandpa Teddy,
Tragically I never met you. However, please know I love you deeply even though I knew so little about you mainly because whenever my mother, ...your daughter ❤ Catherine Roos Gallagher talked about you I was afraid to find out more about you as she was so very young and traumatized when you were taken, the grief was so palpable when my Mom talked about what happened to you so in my young loving way I didn't want to add to her sadness throughout her life which wasn't an easy one. The other reason I believe was because your death hit way to close to home for me as my Dad, your son-in-law, Michael Gallagher also was a cop, (as was his brother Patrick and my Uncle (in law) Norman Bahlert) and I was riddled with great fear even at a young age that what happened to you could happen to my Dad. For so many reasons I kept that fear buried inside and it prevented me from asking further about you even with your other daughter, both my beloved Aunt Eileen Roos Corcoran and your wife my Grandma Kitty.
Furthermore, any other information about you perished in a fire in your former Wales Ave apartment sometime in the late 1960's where you and Grandma once lived except for 2 pictures of you. Needless to say that I cherish these 2 pictures, and at times sadly think of you and other time relect with such great curiosity.
Most importantly and the biggest reason why I write is that I want you to know I feel your loving presence with me often. Please know that, ..eerily I recently startled in the middle of night at the beginning of the Covid pandemic waking up with the feeling that somehow you were my angel involved in saving my life when I was 20 years of age. Long explanation short, I was driving on the Saw Mill River Parkway in Westchester County heading to Lehman College, and miraculously I escaped unharmed after going into a full circle 360 degree skid. I have come to firmly believe because I have great faith that even though I consider myself to be a safe driver there was absolutely no way with my being so young and inexperienced on a very slippery tough go parkway that I could have survived a full circle "360 skid" without some kind of divine intervention. As time went on I came to believe you were my "number one beautiful angel suspect" and I am forever grateful that I recently woke up from a dream about it lovingly yelling your name.
Grandpa, there's so much more in my heart to say on this early morn of this sad anniversary of you my beloved fallen hero. I miss so much the thought of having had any fun loving time with you. I think you and I would have been delighted in each other's company ❤ and I also think to myself how you would flip over your 3 great great grandsons who know about you as both myself and your grandson Jack are trying our best to pass down your hero legacy ...
I am so glad to be able to write and say how very proud of you I am, and how much I love you. Strangely and sadly enough I somehow find comfort in the fact that I was born in Fordham Hospital, the same place where you passed as it feels as close to a circle of life moment that for now I presently ever have. I was also so pleased to find this "Fallen Hero" site and saw the beautiful tribute from Sgt. Diane Roos, I believe is a newfound Florida cousin.

Eileen Gallagher Davis
Retired Lakeland Central School District Teacher Assistant,

January 27, 2023