Service honors fallen Suffolk Sheriff's deputies, corrections officers
Sgt. Keith Allison spent a career focused on his community — serving on the Brentwood school board, volunteering with the Islip branch of the NAACP and spending 25 years with the Suffolk County Sheriff's Office.
On Thursday, just over six months after he died in December at 52 after a 17-day battle with COVID-19, Allison's name was added to a Sheriff's Office monument in Riverhead honoring the 73 corrections officers and deputies who have died in service since the department's formation in 1887.
"Keith believed in giving back to the community," said his wife, Brenda Allison. "He was raised in Regis Park [in Brentwood], which is a pretty rough area. But he always aspired to reach back and help other people behind me. He was just really motivated by his heart and his faith."
Suffolk County Sheriff's Sgt. Keith Ellison lost a 17-day battle with COVID-19 in December. Credit: Suffolk County Sheriff's Office
Darius Allison, 28, said his father set an example of perseverance and honesty for him to follow.
"Through his passing it's just motivated me to focus more," he said. "To become more of a family man and try to sew back into the community that I came from."
The memorial service, which followed similar ceremonies in recent weeks held by the Nassau and Suffolk police departments, honors those deputies and corrections officers who lost their lives in the line of duty.
A bell was rung after the reading of each of the 73 names. Family members placed roses and wreaths by the outdoor monument while a bugler performed taps.
Suffolk County Sheriff Errol Toulon Jr. called the ceremony a "solemn occasion" for those in uniform.
"Even though our family members, friends and colleagues have passed on, they will forever be a part of the Suffolk County Sheriff's Office," Toulon said. "We are a family. Our brotherhood and sisterhood is a bond that will always be there."
Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-Bay Shore), who served as master of ceremonies for the event, noted that the past year had been among the toughest ever for Long Islanders but that law enforcement stepped up to serve every day.
"They battled raising crime rates, provided support to stem the tide of this virus and risked their own health every time they went to work," Garbarino said. " … Each and every person we are honoring here today dedicated their lives to protecting and serving the people of our community. And there is truly no higher calling."
To the family members who lost loved ones in service of the county, Toulon offered a simple message:
"I want you to know we understand the sacrifice you have endured. We are here for you and your loved ones who are here in spirit. And to love and comfort you in their physical absence."
With James Carbone
Robert Brodsky is a breaking news reporter who has worked at Newsday since 2011. He is a Queens College and American University alum.
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