Family, Friends & Fellow Officers Remember...

My thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of Officer Solorio as the anniversary of his great sacrifice approaches.

Erin
Daughter of Officer William Fahey EOW 2/10/82

February 10, 2007

LAUGHTER AND HAPPY MEMORIES.....
THIS IS HOW YOU WOULD WANT ALL OF US TO REMEMBER YOU
TRAGIC AND SORROWFUL TIMES.....
ARE BEHIND ALL OF US NOW
LIFE GOES ON AND YOU WILL BE FOREVER LOVED......
AND TRULY MISSED
SEE YOU LATER HERO......

YOU KNOW WHO

February 9, 2007

Hey Eric, just thinking of you.

To the Solorio family: this time between the accident and Eric's passing must be hard. I'm thinking about you and praying for you during these times.

I just wanted to leave a message, leting you know that there are people silently thinking about Eric.

I just wanted to pay my respects since I'm going out of town in a few days; I won't be here for his mass.

Police Officer
Chicago Police Department

February 2, 2007

As the first anniversary of your tragic EOW approaches, please know that your sacrifice is remembered and honored. You will always be remembered as a hero.
You fought the good fight and now you deserve to rest in peace eternally.

Linda Lamm - LEO wife and sister of
Jay Balchunas EOW 11.05.04

February 1, 2007

AN ENTIRE YEAR AGO AND FEELS AS IF ONLY YESTERDAY.... THERE ARE NO WORDS LEFT ANYMORE... GUESS WHERE I WENT TODAY....CAFE IBERICO!!!! I FELT YOUR PRESENCE THERE.. WISH YOU WERE WITH ME... WISHING AND HOPING.. AND MISSING YOU IS ALL I DO!! YOUR LAUGH IS JUST REPETITIVE IN MY MIND AND IT SOOTHES ME...AND JUST REMINICING ABOUT THIS DAY..IF ONLY TIME COULD BE TURNED BACK...I LOVE YOU LIKE I HAVE NEVER LOVED ANYONE BEFORE!!! YOU ARE TRULY MISSED AND YOU WELL KNOW THAT!! ALL OF MY LOVE TO YOU FOREVER!! I MISS YOU... GOD DO I MISS YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

January 18, 2007

Eric one year ago, I woke up and said happy birthday to my mom. You knew her as Tia. It was her birthday, and I saw her crying. You were in a car accident one year ago. The pain of missing you and seeing my Tia Amelia cry seems all too strong. “As if it where yesterday,” is an understatement. Missing you feels as fresh as if it all happened a few hours ago. Just enough time for it to all sink in and for me to realize it’s real. No one is going to wake up and realize it was all a dream or in this case a nightmare. Eric we miss you. I pray and try to find why God took you from us. How He could possibly need you more than we do.

remember when we all last had italian ice together?

Anna
Cousin

January 18, 2007

When Richelle and I talk about that whole experience, there are so many things I don't remember about that time...I can honestly say that in the days after the accident and the time we spent at the hospital, there are some things I remember so clearly (like it happened today) and others where its so blurry and unclear.

The first thing Eric said to me when we arrived at the hospital and I saw him in his room, immobalized - he apologized. He told me he was sorry that he had been a 'bad brother' to me. I could never figure out why he said that? In hindsight, I never thought he was a such a person, let alone a brother of that nature. I never did ask him why he said that - I just figured he was scared about the accident and about the unknown. I don't know what he meant to say at that moment and why, but if he truly felt that way, it made me sad and confused. He never did anything to me to make me think any less of him. I was always proud of what he accomplished personally and professionally. He was a good brother to me.

Our relationship was far from perfect - he did and could do real jerky things to me and vise versa. We had some real debates (or if you like - arguments) about anything and everything - our lives, our family, politics, religion, oh just about any topic. That was Eric! When we agreed, we were each other's greatest ally, but if we disagreed - watch out! I think our relationship got better as we aged. He became more mature when our Dad died and even more when he became a police officer. I always knew how he felt about his Mom, Amelia. I know how much he loved her. I was not surprised and expected him to stand by her side, and even more after our Dad's death. That was his Mother. Over the last few years, we were learning how to be more of each other's friend than siblings. I think we were a typical brother and sister.

I am learning and have learned over this past year, what he meant to his family, his friends, his co-workers, or any person that he encountered in his life. He represented so many different things to so many different people. I was always scared for him - being a police officer is dangerous occupation. No matter how much he tried to downplay the risk, I knew it was there. He wanted me to learn how to use gun and go to the range with him. I thought he was crazy - but in a good and healthy way. He just wanted to protect his family. I realized he saw the worst in people, worst of situations, the worst things in this life. Instead of being bitter, hard, or mean - he didn't let his job or his life change his attitude. He was and remains to be the most optimistic person I ever met. He could always make me laugh no matter what I was feeling, even through my tears, he could still make me smile. He encouraged me to express myself and to not be afraid of my fear. What a wonderful gift God gave him. What a wonderful gift God gave us to know and have him here. What wonderful gift he gave me for a brother.

To me, he is and will always be my baby brother. Simply, I loved him and he loved me. I can still hear him wishing me a happy birthday and asking what am I going to do, could he tag along with me and my friends (oh, and by the way, what do your friends look like? - trying to figure out if my friends were good looking), while making fun of me....good times!

Oh God, how I miss him :-)

Rosa N. Solorio
Sister

January 17, 2007

Tomorrow is "OUR SISTER'S BDAY". One year since your accident. What can I say? I have read all the reflections over and over again. I have AGAIN lost another brother to such a tragic event. Only a person that has lost a sibling can know what I am going through. Do they know how my heart has again been broken and a part of me is forever gone? I am and will always be your SISTER. No one can ever change the fact that I am forever bound to you by BLOOD. I love you ERIC and will always miss you. You were taken away so soon and you had not begun to live your life. Would I trade places with you? In a heartbeat!!! I have lived life many times over that now you will never get to do. I am truly sorry for that.

RICHELLE L. SOLORIO
SISTER

January 16, 2007

It’s almost been a year since your accident, a year since I last had any contact with you. I have visited this site dozens of times needing to leave a reflection. I’ve been a ghost through this tragic accident. We spent Two and a half years together... And one incident made it all disappear. I regret the way it all ended... all of the people who leave reflections, claim they love you, claim they miss you... a month with someone does not compare to 365 days of day to day contact.. Multiply this thought by events, laughter, dating, dining, coffee, workouts, studies I was there. Where were they all that time you and I were together? Several times you mentioned why your family never called or came over, many times you asked why your friends hardly visited you your mom. When we meet, you said “If you want me you need to accept a two package deal”. I did. I loved your mom, your mom loved me. Ah how I sigh for this sadness. We have shared thousands of happy moments...Several unhappy moments... but all those instant’s consists of a relationship. There will always be up and downs.
When we meet I was a woman of integrity... When we ended I was a woman of uncertainty. Through all of this, yes I thank you. I truly miss you, everyday … on my way to work I think about you. Every time I log into my space I think about you , every time I see a squad car, I think about you, everyday I smell Armani black, I think about you, everyday I listen to Juliette Venegas I think about you, everyday I buy star bucks I think about you, everyday I see z 350’s I think about you, everyday I smell a good home cooked meal .. especially meat. I think about your mom. LoL.
Mmmm hhhh I miss coming over on time for dinners... Oh you know pretending to stroll through the neighborhood I knew she was cooking something. Ha ha..
When I asked, “papah’, how was you day at work?” Your response, would consist of
“I had a hard day at work... it was so hard picking where I was gonna eat today!!” ... ha ha ha ha ha haa a a .. I miss you. I love you.

p.s from what ive read, I take it you learned how to woo woman the way I wooed you. LoL. Im glad you got to pass it on to someone the way I passed it on to you. The love for restaurants foods and its textures did not come from you. I had to drag you to restaurants, remember you hardly wanted to try new food your mom kept you stuffed with her home cooked meals….

Muse

January 11, 2007

>>"Our circle is timeless, flowing, it is a new
>>life emerging from death-life winning
>>out over death."
>>
>>--Lame Deer, LAKOTA
>>
>>
>>When we look at the world in the manner
>>which the Great Spirit designed it, we can see
>>why it makes sense to live in harmony with it:
>>the trees grow and bear fruit, the fruit has
>>seeds, the seeds fall to the ground, the ground
>>grows new trees, old trees die to make way for
>>the young. Any time we think we can interrupt
>>this cycle or change it we will experience turmoil
>>and confusion. The Human Cycle exists
>>as the baby becomes the youth, the youth
>>becomes the adult, the adult has children, the
>>adult becomes the Elder, and the Elder teaches
>>the youth. Elders go on to the Spirit World.
>>Spirit comes into babies to produce new life.
>>Flow into the flow. Be the path of least
>>resistance.
>>
>>
>>My Creator
>>and my
>>Maker, today,
>>teach me to
>>just flow with
>>the river of life.

... even with the birth of my son that's about to happen any day now, I still read this poem and I still think about your spirit. This is an interesting way to look at death and the birth of new life. I will take Baby Evan to see your mom soon, I promise. Love you!

January 5, 2007

You and I will forever be linked, not only by the blood that runs through our body - but by the one life altering incident on one particular day. I don't know what it means to that your initial accident (and the chain of events) happen on my birthday? That's the day when it all began. The day that I am suppose to celebrate my life, when yours so tragically ended. How am I suppose to feel? I am finding it so hard to feel good about my life. When I think back about how that day began...and how it all eventually ended? I don't know if I will ever see that day the same way ever again? It has been so hard, that I cannot even begin to express in words how difficult this past year has been without you in our family, without you in my life. When Daddy died we had each other to remind ourselves that we continue his life. But now that you are gone, where does your life continue? In memories, in pictures, in memorials and dedications, forever immortalized? I wish I knew what to say, I wish I knew how to feel, I just wish you were still here for one more birthday with me.

Rosa N. Solorio
Sister

January 3, 2007

The pain is still too much to bear. Holidays make it worse because you are not here. When am I going to find peace? I miss you, I miss you, I miss you soooo much. Can you see my tears? Can you hear me?

RICHELLE SOLORIO
SISTER

December 27, 2006

Merry Christmas Eric. We LOVE you. Never forgotten

Brothers in blue

December 25, 2006

My friend, Eric, I can't believe you are truely gone from this world, but not from our hearts. I truely enjoyed joking with you, calling you "GQ" since you seem so preoccupied with that good looking hair syndrome, Ha Ha. You were friend to us all Eric, I am terribly sorry I missed your wake and funeral, I will never recover from that one, I hope you can forgive this copper for that. I never felt better than seeing you and your partner, Mike, back me up when I was doing traffic stops or responding to a call, I knew that with you there I had a 99.9% chance of seeing my wife and children and making it to the end of the shift. Eric, you were my friend, you watched my back, and for that, I am truely greatful and changed from our friendship. Continue to watch my back for me, Eric, from heaven! It will always be truely appreciated! Your friend G.

PO
CPD/ FRIEND

December 13, 2006

hey, well to this moment i can't believe you are gone. you were a good friend and a person that knew how to cheer one up when feeling down. we'll i hope you look up after us from up there as we work in the streets of Chicago. i miss you...

P.O.
C.P.D./FRIEND

December 7, 2006

oh my... i miss you.. i dont even have to say it or write it.. the holidays are here and i am feeling so incapable of knowing anything and feel right back at where i started..you are just unbelievably amazing and i still can not face the fact you are not here in my presence.. but you are indeed with me everyday and every nite .. every second of the day.. i feel you watching over me.. i hear you.. and i just pray to god that we will meet again...god just to remember all the great times we had around this time last year is what truly devours me.. it was just so surreal.. you were the one for me.. why did u have to go..i miss your mom..have not seen her in months but i just feel like i will breakdown and make it worse upon her... eric you completely changed my life and the way i live in it now... you have made a better person and i just can not thank you enough you jerkface!!! i love you i always will and i know we will meet again.. all my love ....
your fashionista baby!!<3

November 28, 2006

Family of Officer Eric Solorio. This week, I joined my child's classroom on a field trip to the Mexican Fine Arts Museum so that they may experience Day of the Dead after learning about it in school. I must say, I believe I was the one that most enjoyed the trip, especially after I came across Eric's display. I had to let you know how very touched I was by the display of love and affection for Eric. It literally brought tears to my eyes to experience the photo-show and feel the love for Eric that still comes across. I want to wish you all continued strength. He was taken away so quickly and only God knows what plan He has in store for us. I also want to thank you for sharing him with all so that Eric does live on. Much love, Debbie - Chicago resident

Chicago Resident

November 17, 2006

Dear Family,Friends and co-workers of Fallen Officer Solorio, May you find peace as the holiday's draw near,that only God can give. As i look at the picture of Eric,I see a handsome young man that wore the uniform of a Chicago Officer with pride. Please be reasured that we in the Blue Line family hurt with you,pray for you will never forget Eric. After losing my son-in-law Sgt.Jeffrey T. Hewitt on 04-04-04, i can fill the pain and emptiness you will forever carry in your heart. When a Hero takes his final roll call in the line of duty, everyone in law enforcement becomes truly becomes "The Blue Line" family.You never know the plan God has for you.Through loss,there is gain.......that may sound weird,but it's true. I sit here in my living room and look at another Hero's picture in a Chicago Uniform. Officer Michael P.Gordon,EOW 08-08-04. Four months and four days between Mike and Jeff's death. Mike's family have become my best friends, although long distance,we have cried together, shared memories,and realized how much alike the two were. I had the honor of the Gordon's visiting me this past March. So we really don't see as far down the road as God does. Please know that Eric will never be forgotten. That others do appreciate the sacrifice he made. As every officer out there,is there for us. It's just so sad when i hear of another officer down. I salute you Eric, for a job well done. So as you,Mike,Jeff and all the other Fallen Hero's patrol the streets of Heaven,keep watch over you family and friends. After reading your sister Richelle's reflection,i just bet God let you have a hand in picking out little Anabel!!!!!!!!!!!!I know she will bring you family great joy and as she grows, she will be told about her Uncle Eric. Rest in Peace....... Love and Prayers, Carolyn Moore Asheville,N.C.

Carolyn Moore

November 12, 2006

Hi Eric,
Wow 8 months have gone by. It is still hard to believe that you are really gone. I find comfort coming to this website to read what everyone has to say about you. I am still not at peace with everything. But I guess in time maybe I will find PEACE. So much has happened since you left us. Everytime some event comes up in Chicago or with the family, I want to call you up and talk about it. You know how I use to call you and keep you updated on events happening with the family. I used to do this with Ricky, Renee and especially with Dad. You guys are gone now. I am running out of family members to talk to.... Anyway, I know your spirit is still here with us. I feel you watching out for me. Don't be upset with the ways things have turned out for the rest of us. ALL OF US ARE HAVING A HARD TIME WITH THE WAY YOU LEFT US! I guess you know that we have a new addition to the family. That's right little ANABEL. You know she was conceived right after you left us. I guess this was God's way to help us with our grief. She will be our little "SUNSHINE". I know you are happy with Dad, Ricky and Renee. I hope you know how much I miss you and love you.

RICHELLE L SOLORIO
SISTER

October 16, 2006

Eric, I am so glad your department has honored you by retiring your star. Thank you for the service and dedication you gave everyday. You are truly a great man. My prayers and hugs to your family and girlfriend Lili. I know to well the pain they feel. Time doesn't erase it. Say Hello to my Scott.

Monica
Fiancee
Scott Stewart EOW 8-11-02 Detroit
officerdownsignificantothers.com

October 4, 2006

A Poem for Eric

One night, I had a conversation with Eric.
I was grieving my Grandmother's death.
We went for a ride.
Top down, wind in my hair,
Warm summer city night,
His laughter echoed in my heart,
I had not felt this happy in a long time.
“Be the best that you can be. Be better than everyone else. Surround your Self with others who have lost loved ones”.
Top up. Un beso.
I thanked him for the ride and I went inside.
I had no idea that last stroke of my hair would be the last.

New job, new boyfriend, new puppy, new home,
New Mac make up,
The music of my soul had changed its tune.
I fought the battle and I won.
I survived the flood.
I am a survivor.
Once again.

Eric gave me a bullet proof vest,
He suited me with courage and bravery.
He grabbed me by the shoulders and looked me in the eye,
Go out there and be the best that you can be.
Finish your degree and establish yourself before you start a family.
Be strong. Stay away from trouble.

He is gone now.
He too, like my Grandmother, has passed on to the spirit world,
Bless his heart, his soul,
A damn-good man,
A hero in my eyes,
He taught me how to be a warrior.

Eric, Rest in Peace.
I love and miss you both with all my heart.

A Friend and Super Ex-Girlfriend :)

September 13, 2006

I regret I lost touch with you kid. I remember growing up with you and us balling in my driveway for hours. I remember when you chose Quigley and I teased you because Br.Rice was the way better option :). You were always a strong kid who always did what he wanted with conviction and intelligence. I regret not being able to tell you that when you grew up. My family grieves and will keep yours in our prayers.

Ismael Lopez
Childhood Friend

September 8, 2006

Eric,

Right now i'm supposed to be completed a nomination for our Hispanic Illinois State Law Enforcement Association (H.I.S.L.E.A.) banquet on Sept. 23, 2006. Eric, I have nominated you to receive the Irma Ruiz (CPD) award for Valor. So as I "surfed the net" I couldn't help myself to take a moment and send you a little message. I miss you un chingo. I keep a photograph of you in my squad, right next to St. Michael by the spotlight handle. You see Eric you are a valiente or what we in Mexico call Valiant. That's why I am nominating you for this award.

Not long ago you and I were kids racing you down Paulina to see who could run faster while Danny stood in front of his house cheering you on. I won that race (yeah right). Then we were at the gym running on adjacent treadmills and you would raise your speed as soon as I rose mine. You were training for the CPD academy at that time. Then I pulled you over a couple of times (breaks given of course). Nonetheless, I just wanted to say Hello and tell you that Hopee sends her regards as well.

later,

juan

Tpr. Juan J. Valenzuela #5185
Illinois State Police

August 30, 2006

Sir, I honor your service and your sacrifice. "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God." Matthew 5:9.

Daniel
Citizen

August 29, 2006

Little brother, we really miss you. You will always be in my thoughts and prayer. Hope you keep an eye on all of us who love you from the heavens above. Love you.

Sandra Vega
friend

August 29, 2006