Joseph A. Broderick

Joseph Broderick, 71, of Abilene died Friday, March 19, 2010. The funeral service will be 4:00 p.m. Monday, March 22, at The Hamil Family Funeral Home Chapel, 6449 Buffalo Gap Road in Abilene, Texas with Chris McCurley officiating. Born in Brooklyn, NY on May 1, 1938, he was the son of Gertrude Grace (Wheeler) and Joseph M. Broderick. He received a Bachelor of Science in Education from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL, and an Associate in Applied Science in Law Enforcement from Parkland College, Champaign, IL, graduating with Honors from both. Joe married Donna Faye Warfel on August 9, 1958 in Urbana, IL. He served in the National Guard for eight years and pursued a career in law enforcement which spanned 47 years. He possessed over 25 years of professional experience in the areas of Corrections and security, as well as degrees related to the fields of Law Enforcement/Corrections/Security/Criminology/Supervision and Training. Having received training from a German POW who was a Master K-9 Trainer, Joe was appointed the State Certification officer for Illinois Training Groups. He developed and implemented the State-wide K-9 Proficiency Certification course at the Police Training Institute and the K-9 Drug Detection Teams for the Illinois Department of Corrections and State Police, as well as researching K-9 programs for many other police departments in Illinois and other states and correctional systems and one Canadian Province. Joe retired in April, 2009 as Lieutenant Master K-9 Trainer from Cook County Sheriff's Department in Illinois, having worked there the last fourteen years. He also owned Midwest Detective Agency in Champaign, Illinois for the last twenty years. He also had worked as an investigator with the Ludlow Police Department (Illinois); Citicorp & Savings of Illinois (Chicago, IL) as Supervisor of Operation, Security Police; Illinois Department of Corrections, Bureau of Inspections and Audits as Administrator and Detector K-9 Unit; and Urbana Police Department, Urbana, IL as Patrol Officer, Officer-in-charge of the K-9 Unit, Assistant and Field Supervisor and Chief's Administrative Aide. He was also Adjunct Professor, University of Illinois Police Training Institute-Instructor of Police K-9 Activities, and University of Illinois Police Training Institute. Mr. Broderick was the recipient of numerous awards and recognitions including, Police Officer of the Year-1967 American Legion Award, Urbana Exchange Club Appreciation Award, Lions Club - Champaign, Palatine, Appreciation Awards, P.M. Magazine (T.V.) Appreciation Award, Illinois State Police Appreciation Award, Decatur City Appreciation Award, El Paso, Texas Appreciation Award, U.S. Air Force at Chanute Appreciation Award and numerous Letters of Commendation: IL State Police, cities, counties and states for criminal and public assistance. In April, 2009, Joe moved from Urbana, IL to Abilene, where he was a member of Oldham Lane Church of Christ. Joe was preceded in death by an infant grandson, Tyler Enoch Broderick, his parents, and a sister, Shiela Jean Broderick. Mr. Broderick is survived by his wife, Donna Broderick of Abilene; son, Geoffrey Broderick and wife, Treva, of Abilene; daughter, Catherine A. Broderick Kang of Phoenix, Arizona; four grandchildren, Melanie Elaine Kang of Los Angelos, California, Justin Joseph Kang of Phoenix, AZ, Taylor Kellen Broderick and wife, Jessica, of Nashville, Tennessee, and Cameron Riley Broderick of Abilene; nephew, Doug Broderick of Urbana, Illinois, and grandniece, Abra Broderick. Memorials may be made to Shultz-Lewis Child and Family Services, Valparaiso, Indiana; Oldham Lane Church of Christ, 5049 Oldham Lane, Abilene, TX 79602; or American Cancer Society, 209 S. Danville, Bldg. B Suite 107, Abilene, TX 79605.