Sam Gaynor was one of Rockford's first Black police officers

Contents:

• RODNEY I. GAYNOR 1965
• FRANCIS A. GAYNOR OBUARY
• TRAILBLAZG SAM GAYNOR PAVED WAY FOR BLACK POLICE OFFICERS TO BEE LEARS ROCKFORD
• 'WE KNOW THAT HER LEGACY WILL LIVE ON.' NAPL PHILANTHROPIST LAVERN NORRIS GAYNOR GAVE TO MUNY
• NORRIS GAYNOR
• MOSW IS BURNG: YOUNG AND GAY PUT'S RSIA
• CARY A GAYNOR OBUARY
• SAMUEL GAYNOR
• OBUARY: MICHEL ALAN GAYNOR “MIKE”
• RODNEY GAYNOR
• BRENDAN J. GAYNOR OBUARY

RODNEY I. GAYNOR 1965

Gaynor was born, om Augt 11 to 16, rts broke out Watts, a Black sectn of Los Angel.

Gaynor. Gaynor of Warwick, New York, born Queens, New York.

Gaynor to show is survived by: his parents, Dennis Gaynor and Tdy Gaynor of Fort Hills, NY; his wife Lori Gaynor; his children, Thera Van Kren of Montgomery, NY, Melanie "Mel" Gaynor of Warwick and Sean Gaynor of Warwick; his grandchildren, Jackson and Kayla Van Kren; and his brother Dennis F.

FRANCIS A. GAYNOR OBUARY

Gaynor, Jr. Rodney Gaynor keeps 62-year-old newspaper picture of his father, Sam Gaynor, leadg members of Pilgrim Baptist Church to the church's new at 1703 S. Central Ave., as a remr of how his dad was a picture ptur Sam Gaynor, a police officer the prime of his life, exced to be a part of the church's was a trailblazer that day, as he was his life — the send Black police officer to be hired by the Rockford Police Department.

Over the urse of his 35-year reer, Gaynor would be the partment's first Black officer to be promoted to sergeant, litenant, pta and eventually puty "Sonny" Gaynor died Dec. ' It would be accurate, " said Gaynor's elst son, Rockford schools, mm lear 'Downtown' Alan Brown diEdutn was first loveSam Gaynor was born and raised on the cy's southwt si where he attend school and beme a member of Pilgrim Baptist Church.

TRAILBLAZG SAM GAYNOR PAVED WAY FOR BLACK POLICE OFFICERS TO BEE LEARS ROCKFORD

Army, Gaynor tght briefly North Carola before returng to Rockford 1957 wh tentns of ntug his reer Gaynor, 63 of Champaign, said his father may have been ready for Rockford Public Schools, but Rockford Public Schools was not ready for s first black male teacher.

"His first assignment was walkg the beat, " Gaynor said, "but the assignment that I really remember was when he was drivg the whe r, performg EMT servic.

"He livered babi, and he was there when people were tchg their last breath, " Rodney Gaynor said. Fonst memoryGaynor's early tenure wh the police partment was durg the height of the turbulent Civil Rights Movement.

'WE KNOW THAT HER LEGACY WILL LIVE ON.' NAPL PHILANTHROPIST LAVERN NORRIS GAYNOR GAVE TO MUNY

Rodney Gaynor said he don't know what his father endured the streets and possibly among the rank and file. "He didn't brg the job home, " he Rodney Gaynor do remember is his father always beg uniform and on ll. "When I was Ltle League, I fancied myself as a pcher, and he would be uniform and would squat while I practiced pchg, " he saidOne of Gaynor's fonst memori is travelg wh his father to Milwkee County Stadium 1981 and jog other off-duty officers at a Brewers-Yanke game.

"'A man of fah'When Rockford Police Chief Carla Redd met Sam Gaynor she was a child and knew him as Dean Gaynor. "Redd, the first Black and first female to lead the cy's police partment 2021, was one of many iends and fay to vis Gaynor before he died. "Retired Rockford Deputy Chief Domic Iasparro remembered Gaynor as an engaged lear.

NORRIS GAYNOR

"When Gaynor was promoted to puty chief of operatns 1990, Iasparro was promoted to assistant puty chief and the two worked closely until Gaynor's retirement 1993. " 'I stand on his shoulrs'Theo Glover said Gaynor was a stickler for officers to wear their hats wh their uniforms. "Everybody has their pet peev, and that was his, " Glover Glover beme the send Black to be promoted to puty chief, Gaynor was long retired but not fotten.

"Glover, who now heads the Rockford Park District Police Department, said of Gaynor, "He paved the way for me. "Visatn and servicAfter retirement, Gaynor fally fulfilled his of love of teachg.

He served for several years as a substute teacher Rockford Public Schools hopg to make a posive imprsn on the cy's young Black Gaynor said he'll always be proud of his father's reer, but he's even more proud of the life his father lived. "Visatn for Sam Gaynor will be held at 9 a.

MOSW IS BURNG: YOUNG AND GAY PUT'S RSIA

Most people would ll stallg a mera on the Napl Pier a brilliant marketg tool, lurg 2 ln annual viss to s panorama of billowg surf, wood-planked jetty and pearly Lavern Norris Gaynor, drivg force behd puttg the pier onle, had a different wanted to brg that view to the hom of the agg Napl populatn who uld no longer walk their cy pier. ' "Her name on new school:Collier nam schools for proment black tor, longtime Napl philanthropistLavern Norris Gaynor was this cy's bt iendGaynor leav behd shelv of awards: Napl Daily News Cizen of the Year, Outstandg Philanthropist 2015 and the YMCA’s Preement Pneer — twice. A Goln Gate school bears her name, Lavern Gaynor Elementary; s sea turtle mast rells a favore fay e, more important to Lal Gaynor was that the work she supported was helpg Napl: better tg s children, prervg s nature, nservg s herage.

Lal Gaynor was this cy's bt iend. "Gaynor provid scholarships for the programs, attend meetgs and supported projects such as Connect Now, an effort to get put om and expla the schools' visn to parents every zip of Collier County.

CARY A GAYNOR OBUARY

"To celebrate Gaynor's 97th birthday, staff om her school formed a r para ont of her home, droppg off baskets of rds ma by the stunts. It was a light to Gaynor, McMan relled — pecially when Napl police, who had been directg traffic, pulled out their bullhorns and sang "Happy Birthday" to her.

She would rather be anyone's garn than their home, " said Lois Selfon, a iend who, wh her hband, Bce, regularly ved Gaynor to outdoor gathergs at their Old Napl, she said, would always look for a seat the garn she uld enjoy the foliage as well as the Napl Mayor Bill Bart knew Lal Gaynor om his first years as a cy uncilman 1984. "He relled the only time he had enuntered Gaynor upset: when the Pier m she had champned lost view of the fireworks boat that was about to set off a holiday show.

SAMUEL GAYNOR

"Like many of the most lovg children, Lavern Gaynor was an adoptee of Napl.

But wh a year, their dghter, who had already graduated om Northwtern Universy, had moved away to marry Texa executive Gee Gaynor, and the moved om New York to Belgium, where they lived for 14 years, and Italy.

It would bee an important e for her other news:Collier schools learng optns are changg for next school yearAnd:Collier schools rec Miami-Da official for puty supertennt roleTodd Turrell, the ocean engeer who worked wh Gaynor on her parents' club at Keewayd, remembered her stori of life abroad and the two swapped travel stori.

OBUARY: MICHEL ALAN GAYNOR “MIKE”

Gaynor's work Napl me after her retirement, when she and her hband moved to the muny her parents had embraced. They bought the land for Delnor-Wiggs State Park, which b both her mother first name, Dellora, and her father's last name, Norris, the Gaynor vted people. "The Gaynors ntributed to the velopment of Hodg Universy, after was found a shoppg center strip mall.

RODNEY GAYNOR

After her hband's ath, Gaynor prented Internatnal College wh an endowed gift to tablish a Print’s Chair. Remgton, who built both hoe Gaynor lived here, poted out that she quietly fund the YMCA Childrens Center, and she and her sister were the lead gift donors to the swimmg pool adjacent to The Communy School of Napl, which was open to all the unty high schools.

BRENDAN J. GAYNOR OBUARY

Gaynor she was his adopted mom; siarly, Turrell said her told her she was his Napl mother. "In a statement, Kamela Patton, supertennt of Collier County Public Schools, said the district was sadned to hear of the loss, scribg Gaynor as someone "who gave generoly to support tn Collier County. Gaynor’s warm se and genero spir, but we know that her legacy will live on, " Patton said a fay will hold a celebratn of life for Lavern Norris Gaynor, wh tails to be announced later.

Norris Gaynor 70. Norris Gaynor of 17521 NC Hwy 32 N.