Malden morns passing of Officer Aldo Ray By Juhi Varma Junior Patrol Officer Allan “Aldo” Ray, of the Malden Police Department, died on Tuesday, September 30, after a courageous battle with illnesses and injuries connected with an arrest made in 2012. He was 57. The decorated Malden officer died at Mass. General Hospital, surrounded by his friends and family. Malden Police Chief Kevin Molis appeared at Tuesday’s televised city council meeting with a black band on his badge, to speak to the council and the city of Malden about Ray’s death. “One of the things that stands out to me is what he chose; he chose to work in the housing development when crime was a major issue there, and through his dedicated efforts and his bravery he was able to turn that place around for the good people that lived there,” a visibly affected Molis said at the podium. “[Al] was a perfect blend of what a police officer should be. And he meant so much to us as an agency and a community.” Molis continued, “I’m reminded of words that were once said, regarding the passing of a great person, and I think they’re applicable to Al. ‘When it was said that my brother officer need not be idolized or enlarged in death beyond what he was in life. To be simply remembered as a good and decent man who saw wrong and tried to right it, saw suffering and tried to heal it, and he saw crime and evil and tried to stop it’… It is my privilege to say that I was hired with him; he was the best of the group, better than me, and it was my honor to be with him … he’s in a roll call in heaven, with a lot of other Malden cops.” Ray, a Malden native, graduated from the Northeast Regional Vocational School in1975. He joined the Malden Police Department in 1980 and served admirably until January 2012, when he sustained a serious spinal cord injury while making an arrest. Al lost the use of both arms and spent much of the past two years in physical therapy and rehab. In February 2013 Ray was honored with a Service above Self award at the Malden Rotary Club. After receiving a standing ovation from the audience on his way up to the stage, Ray had stated enthusiastically that his “ultimate goal was to return to work.” “I was honored to be president of Malden Rotary Club when we presented Al with our Service Above Self Award. Officer Ray exemplified the ideals of Service Above Self, and our Club is very saddened by his passing,” said Councillor-at-Large David D’Arcangelo. “Al Ray will be remembered as one of Malden’s finest who always put the interests and safety of others ahead of his own ... he will be missed and my thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and his fellow officers during this difficult time. May he rest in peace.” “I knew him when I was working as a teenager at Grenada Lanes bowling alley, and they used to have details at the bowling alley,” said Mayor Gary Christenson. “He was a great guy and a great police officer, and he’s going to be sorely missed. We have our flags at half-mast.” Ray is survived by his wife, Miguelina, brother Michael and four children: Jesus, Jennie, Allan and Timothy.
Posted on: Fri, 03 Oct 2014 16:08:27 +0000
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