MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — The Manatee County Sheriff's Office on Thursday honored one of its deputies who recently died of COVID-19.
A celebration of life service was held for Deputy Douglas Clark at Simmons Loop Baptist Church in Riverview.
Family, friends, and fellow law enforcement officers shared stories of Clark, remembering him as a quiet man full of love and integrity.
"Doug was a hard worker. Always had a smile on his face and always had a warm greeting for everyone," Major Tom Porter said. "Never did I see him where he didn't reach out to me, shake my hand, and ask me how my day was going."
"Doug Clark was a loving husband, a dedicated father to six wonderful children, an extraordinary sports coach, a champion of countless pistol competitions, an actual and figurative bridge builder," another law enforcement officer added.
The service was followed by a "Line of Duty' ceremony, in which the sheriff's office completed a ceremonial last radio call for Clark.
Clark, 67, died last week after spending two weeks in the hospital battling COVID-19, the sheriff's office says. He had been with the agency since February 2008 and served in the Corrections Bureau for the past 13 years.
The sheriff's office says he was seen as a hard worker who approached each day with a positive attitude.
Across the Tampa Bay area, law enforcement has been hit hard by COVID-19. Three separate agencies all recently suffered the loss of an officer.