By PHYLLIS ZORN

Staff writer

An organization that travels throughout the country to honor law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty made a stop Saturday outside the sheriff’s office to honor Rob Craft.

End of Watch is a group of motorcycle riders who make a nationwide trip every two years, leading a large rolling memorial trailer with photos of officers who died.

This year’s memorial features officers who died during 2022 and 2023.

End of Watch rider Allison McCarter said the group had been on tour with the memorial for 64 days and expected to return home Monday.

The memorial featured 245 officers who died during 2022 and 135 who died during 2023, McCarter said.

When Craft’s family arrived Saturday, people hugged his widow, Jan, and talked to her before she walked to the rolling memorial to be photographed with or photograph Craft’s image.

She signed a memorial banner and was hugged by more people.

Sheriff’s office manager Sara Cope talked about working with Craft.

“People like Rob Craft don’t come along every day,” Cope said. “He was a great boss, and he will live on.”

A former Marine, he began his law enforcement career in 1981 as a state trooper stationed in Marion.

Craft was a trooper for 27 years, retiring in 2007 as firearms and ordinance instructor.

Elected sheriff in 2009, he served 3½ terms until his death Feb. 16, 2022, from complications of COVID-19 at age 64.

A procession of 28 state, county, and local law enforcement vehicles escorted the sheriff’s remains from the US56-77/K-150 roundabout to Yazel-Megli Funeral Home in Marion shortly before midnight after his death.

Their red and blue emergency lights flashing, another two dozen fire and emergency medical vehicles from throughout the county lined E. Main St. from Thorp St. to Elm St. for the procession.