The Widows and Orphans Aid Association of the San Francisco Police Department held their monthly Board Meeting on September 8, 2015 at 850 Bryant Street room #150 in San Francisco. The meeting was called to order at 1:45pm. Our regular order of business was pre-empted to accommodate Treasurer Dean Taylor who was in attendance by Conference Call. We started our meeting with our Communications and Bills section (see below). We then resumed our regular order of business.
Roll Call: President John Keane, Vice President Sally Foster, Secretary Mark McDonough, Treasurer Dean Taylor (Conference Call) and Trustees John Centurioni, Ray Kane, Jim O’Meara, and Al Luenow were present. Trustee Leroy Lindo was excused.
Approval of the Minutes: Trustee John Centurioni made a motion to approve the minutes from last month’s meeting on August 12, 2015. Trustee Al Luenow seconded the motion which passed without objection.
Receiving Applications for New Members; Suspensions and Reinstatements: Trustees Ray Kane, Jim O’Meara and I responded to the Police Academy to present the WOAA membership for application to the 244th recruit class of the San Francisco Police Department. We were successful by signing up 31 of the 32 class members. One member stated he would give thought to applying and would contact us at a later date. The past two months we suspended WOAA members for non-payment of dues. In June we suspended members for non-payment from 2014, and we suspended several members in July for non-payment of dues for 2015. Letters of suspension, mandated by our Constitution and By-Laws, were sent to suspended members by certified mail. The following members sent their dues and fees to the WOAA, and by vote, were reinstated by President Keane, as members in good standing:
Tony Camilleri, Daniel Daugherty, John Fullwood, Frank Gonzalez,
Lori Lamma, Robert Merino, Dennis O’Connell, Eddie O’Toole,
Brenda Rodgers, Daniel Tinney, and Sandra Tong.
Every member to whom I have spoken regarding late dues, has stated that they never received a bill in the mail. Some members received our suspension letter at the SAME address used to send the bill. We continually urge members to update their address and contact information. I received a call from a member who now lives in Texas. The member wished to know why he had not received WOAA bills/reports for a few years. I looked up his address on file as we spoke. I told him we have his current address at a P.O. Box in Upper Northern California. The member told me he moved to Texas five years ago. I asked if he sent us a change of address. He said NO. Herein lies one of the biggest problems we face trying to locate and bill retired members.
Communications and Bills: The regular monthly bills and the death benefit payments to the beneficiaries of fallen members Daniel O’Leary, Michael Wilcox, and Robert Hulsey were presented to the board for payment. Trustee Ray Kane made a motion to pay the bills. Trustee Al Luenow seconded the motion which passed without objection.
I received a thank you card from Eileen and Frank McGing. Eileen is the sister to recently passed WOAA member Michael Wilcox.
Report of Visiting Committee: Trustee Al Luenow reported that he attended the funeral service for fallen member Doug Foss. Luenow reported a well-attended meeting by many retired SFPD Officers. A great number of the attendees were current and former Solo’s from the Traffic Solo Unit. Al reported the service to be a very warm and respected tribute to Doug.
Report of Trustees: The WOAA received the sad news that the following members have passed:
Albert F. Alves, age 90: Albert F. Alves was born in Bereford, California. Albert’s listed occupation prior to the San Francisco Police Department is listed as ‘truck driver’. Albert was 22 years old when he entered the San Francisco Police Department on April 21, 1947. Albert was assigned to star #726. Albert completed his training at the Academy on May 5, 1947 and worked in the following units: Mission Police Station (May 5, 1947), Central Police Station (June 2, 1954), a second stint at Mission Station (July 9, 1975), Northern Police Station (July 27, 1975), City Prison (May 2, 1976) and back to Northern Station on May 12, 1976. Albert was promoted to Sergeant on July &, 1975 (Mission, Northern and City Prison). Albert received an accommodation for his part in the arrest of three ‘holdup men’. His partner was Andrew Kristensen. No further information on the March 3, 1950 incident.
Ron Killen, age 79: Ron R. Killen was born in Ukiah, California on November 25, 1935, and soon thereafter moved with his family to Marysville, California. Ron began swimming across the Feather River with his father at age 3. The family moved to San Francisco where Ron graduated from Lincoln High School. Ron’s first job was at an Ice Cream Shop. Soon Ron worked at a Gas Station where he pumped gas and fixed cars. In 1955 Ron joined the Merchant Marines and boarded an Oil Tanker to Alaska, and later to Hawaii. Ron joined the San Francisco Police Department on October 1, 1962. Ron served the City and County of San Francisco for 20 years as a Police Officer. He worked at the following units: Southern Police Station (November 23, 1962), and Tactical (December 9, 1969) where he trained as a specialist and worked in the Honda Unit. Ron passed the Sergeant’s Exam and was waiting for his promotion when his career was cut short. Ron was involved in a serious traffic accident sustaining 24 fractures, a fractured skull, and nearly losing his right arm. Ron retired with a disability pension on December 1, 1981. Ron had worn star #1461. Ron received a ‘third grade’ medal of valor for services rendered on July 21, 1963. Ron and his partner Ray Michelis responded to a man with a knife at the Bus Depot. Killen and Michelis located the man and walked him toward the baggage room to continue their investigation when the suspect tried to pull a handgun from his waistband on the Officers. Killen and Michelis physically disarmed the suspect and placed him in handcuffs. The suspect had another handgun and two knives in his possession and was wanted for two robberies and a burglary in Contra Costa County. Ron received a Silver Medal of Valor for services rendered on October 6, 1979 (Sgt. Dave Winn, Officers Ron Killen, Jody Moroschok, and Jeremiah Morgan). Officers were honored for their bravery and devotion to duty when they arrested a sniper who had barricaded himself in a room on the 16th floor inside of 1275 Market Street. The suspect had fired a M1 Carbine in the building and out onto Market Street wounding one citizen. The Officers were the first to enter the suspect’s location and make the arrest. The suspect was also in possession of a shotgun and appeared to be wired with dynamite and hand grenades in the form of a ‘human bomb’. Ron was an avid outdoorsman. Ron loved to camp, fly fish, and ‘rock hound’. Other hobbies included traveling, dirt bikes, radio control trains, rebuilding engines, planes, and an interest in a submarine. Ron was a gentleman farmer/rancher who grew his own food. Diane describes Ron as a ‘Man of Honor’. They were married for 35 years. Ron is survived by his wife Dianne Kathleen Pacheco-Killen, 5 children, 6 grandchildren, and a Great Grand-daughter.
Report of Special Committee: Trustee Ray Kane presented his report on the Actuarial Consulting Service Agreement. Per our Board Vote in August, Ray was able to negotiate the consulting study and findings from $10,000 to $7,000. Bartel Associates LLC will not give a presentation at our meeting, but will provide a written report of their study and recommendations on the following:
– whether our current dues level is sufficient to provide the promised benefits to current
members.
– whether our current age limit of ‘under 46 years of age’, should be modified and what
modifications would be recommended.
– whether the WOAA should increase the benefit, if the dues are increased.
Unfinished Business: No report this month.
New Business: No report this month
Good of the Order: No report this month
Adjournment: President Keane asked for a moment of silence for our fallen members, and then set our next meeting for October 13, 2015 at 1:45pm. The meeting is scheduled to be held at the Hall of Justice at 850 Bryant Street in room #150.
To All Members: Please visit our website at ‘sfwidowsandorphans.org’. On our website you can access beneficiary forms by clicking on the ‘Resources’ box on the tool bar which is located on the upper right side of the web page. Please use a desktop or laptop computer. Various members have reported to me that a pad or tablet computer will not allow access or location to the ‘Resources’ box. I would like to continue my thanks and gratitude to the following people who assist us in our efforts. Retired Captain Paul Chignell of the POA continuously contacts members who we are unable to reach because of outdated contact information. Paul contacts these members and informs them of our efforts to locate them for various reasons. Sgt. Rachel Kilshaw and Risa of the Police Commission Office provide us with award information for the careers of our fallen members. We use this information in our Obituary Section of our article under Report of Trustees. Jon Voong, David Ng, and Acting Captain Nick Rainsford provide employee career information which we also use for our obituaries. Retired Lieutenant Rene Laprevotte provides member information through his website that is relevant to our cause. Rene was a WOAA Past President and Board Member.