Funeral for Delaware officer killed in the line of duty set for Friday

A public viewing for Sergeant Joseph Szczerba will be held in Wilmington on Friday morning.  

The viewing at the Chase Center on the Riverfront is open to the public.  That will be followed by a mass of Christian Burial at 1 p.m.  The burial will be private.  

 

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be sent to the following organizations: Faithful Friends, 12 Germay Drive in Wilmington, DE 19804; Delaware Wildlife Rehabilitators Association, Attn: Hilary Taylor, 113 Barksdale Professional Center in Newark, DE 19711; Tri-State Bird Rescue and Research Inc., 110 Possum Hollow Road in Newark, DE 19711; Sunday Breakfast Mission, 110 North Poplar Street, Wilmington, DE 19801.

Szczerba was stabbed to death early Friday morning while investigating a report of a disorderly person in the Penn Acres community.

New Castle County Police issued Sgt. Szczerba’s obituary this afternoon.

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Sergeant Joseph Szczerba

Age 44, of Wilmington, DE, died September 16, 2011. Joseph was born June 26, 1967 in Wilmington, DE; he was the son of Jean “Ray” Szczerba and the late Edward Joseph Szczerba. He was the husband of Kathy Szczerba, his wife of 19 years.

Joe was an eighteen-year veteran of the New Castle County Police Department. Joe was hired as a police officer on July 11, 1994. After completing his training and graduating from the New Castle County Police Academy on January 13, 1995, he was assigned to the patrol division. After completing five years on patrol, he was transferred into the Criminal Investigations Unit in 2000, where he was assigned to the Family Services Unit. Joe also served in the Research, Development and Inspections Unit during his career.

Joe was promoted to the rank of Sergeant on January 23, 2008 and he was currently assigned to “E-Squad” as a patrol supervisor for the central district. Joe received three unit citations, which included two for homicide investigations and one for a burglary investigation. He also received one commendation of merit for a robbery investigation. Joe also received numerous letters of commendations and appreciation.

Joe attended Corpus Christi grade school in Elsmere, DE before attending Salesianum High School in Wilmington, DE, where he played football and then graduated in 1985. In his senior year, he was named to the All-State second team. He furthered his education and his football career when he attended West Chester University in West Chester, PA., where he received his Bachelors of Science degree in Liberal Studies and a minor in Criminal Justice and Public Administration. He went on to attend Wilmington University in New Castle, DE, where he graduated with a Masters of Science degree in Administration of Justice. He also attended the West Point Command and Leadership program and completed the curriculum in 2009.

Surviving, in addition to his mother and wife, are his siblings; Stephen and his wife Karen, Edward and his wife Florence, Karen Campbell and her husband David of Carmel, IN, Nancy Anderson and her husband Paul, Gerald, Peter and his wife Stephanie. He took great pride in his 11 nieces and nephews, Stephen and his wife Chelsea, Ashley, Elizabeth and her husband Larry, Edward, Philip, Julianna, Andrew, David, Ann Marie, Jacob, and Hannah; four great nieces and nephews, Christopher, Cameron, Lidia and Jack. Joe was predeceased by his father, Edward Joseph Szczerba.

Joe was a decent, honest and humble man. Joe was known for his great love of family and friends and had a passion for athletics and known for his mischievous sense of humor. Joe never looked for recognition, and the true measure of Joe’s character was always shown as he would do for others and never expect anything in return. “You can judge the true character of an individual by how they treat someone who can do nothing for them.” Joe had a tremendous love for animals and played a pivotal role in the neutering and releasing of feral cats in his neighborhood; many of those cats adopted him. He was also a dedicated volunteer for Faithful Friends.

The public is invited to attend a viewing beginning at 9:00 a.m., on Friday, September 23, 2011, at the Chase Center on the Riverfront, which will be followed by a mass of Christian Burial starting at 1:00 p.m. The burial will be private.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be sent to the following organizations: Faithful Friends, 12 Germay Drive in Wilmington, DE 19804; Delaware Wildlife Rehabilitators Association, Attn: Hilary Taylor, 113 Barksdale Professional Center in Newark, DE 19711; Tri-State Bird Rescue and Research Inc., 110 Possum Hollow Road in Newark, DE 19711; Sunday Breakfast Mission, 110 North Poplar Street, Wilmington, DE 19801.