EASTON, MD - The Mid-Shore community is reeling after the sudden passing of Sgt. Gordon Lee Jr., a retired officer of the Easton Police Department, who died last night.
Sgt. Lee, who retired in February at the age of 46, remained an active presence within the community, according to Easton Police Captain Gregory Wright.
"We would see him occasionally. In fact, a couple of our officers talked to him yesterday around lunchtime. So he was still very much present in the community and the members' lives here," said Captain Wright.
Sheriff Joe Gamble of the Talbot County Sheriff’s Department recalled Lee’s unmistakable presence.
"Well, Gordon—if you knew Gordon, he's a little loud. You knew he was in the building, so I could be back here in my office, and I could hear Gordon out there cutting up with my guys and gals," said Sheriff Gamble.
During his time with the Easton Police Department, Sgt. Lee worked with the K-9 unit and served as a training coordinator, teaching other officers in academics and at the firing range.
Captain Wright, who worked with Lee for 23 years, emphasized the lasting impact Lee had on his colleagues.
"It was very hard for the department to really comprehend or acknowledge because he was such a powerful force in life. So there is still a lot of shock," Wright said.
Sheriff Gamble expressed the deep sense of loss shared by the community.
"Our job is to take care of the community, but it’s also to take care of one another. So when we lose any of us, especially someone like Gordon, it really hurts, and I know our community is going to suffer for his loss," Gamble said.
And on Tuesday, departments across the eastern shore flooded Facebook, remembering Lee. Capt. Wright says, "That's a testament to the lives he impacted—not just as a police officer on the street but what he provided to the police officer community. His training, his knowledge, his presence, just the way he was. At a conference, he was the life of the party, so to speak."
Chief Justin Todd of the Cambridge Police Department shared,
