PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — "There is a hole in our hearts that can never be filled. Michael will forever be missed and so very loved for the rest of our lives."
Those are the words of fallen Pinellas County Deputy Michael Magli's wife, Stephanie, who penned a letter to the community thanking them for their support since her husband was killed in the line of duty in February.
Her heartfelt letter shared her family's appreciation for the prayers, kind words, flowers, gifts, and more during the "worst times of our lives."
"I am deeply, eternally grateful for all the compassion and more you have shown to our family. Thank you," Stephanie wrote.
Stephanie also thanked the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office for keeping her husband's memory alive and for all the agency has done in the months since he was tragically killed while trying to stop a suspected drunk driver in Tarpon Springs.
"They have checked on my family, reached out, cried with me at times, and never allowed me to forget that we are forever family," she wrote.
It's the efforts to remember Magli that his wife says helps her daughters continue to know the hero he was "long before he was taken" from them.
"Although our children are so very young, they will always know who their father was. I am beyond grateful to have pictures and videos to show the girls as they grow. They will know how much he truly loved them and how proud he was and will always be of them," Stephanie wrote.
According to his wife, Magli was the dad who got on the floor to play with his kids, did his daughter's hair before school, and helped with homework. He was also the dad who pushed for no boyfriends but then shared how he'd be a "blubbering idiot" when they got married.
All of that and more is why Stephanie says he was her rock. Not to mention his sense of humor, thoughtfulness and how supportive she says he was.
"We knew very quickly, at just 19 years old, that we had met our person. I love that man with every bit of me," she wrote.
Stephanie added that Magli's actions on Feb. 17, 2021, were not unlike him and had a message for the man behind the wheel:
"Michael's actions that day were not out of character for him. He may have been humble, but he was fearless. He always did what was right and what he had to do. That day was no different," she said, in part. "Although he stopped that person from killing others, that man stole the life of a father, son, brother, and the best man I have ever known."
You can read the full letter below.
What other people are reading right now:
- Can employers make COVID-19 vaccination mandatory?
- Tampa company helps first-time offenders get back on track
- IKEA recalls bowls, plates and mugs due to burn hazard
- Federal unemployment ending in one month: Unemployed Floridians can get more help
- 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar' author Eric Carle dies at 91
►Breaking news and weather alerts: Get the free 10 Tampa Bay app
►Stay In the Know! Sign up now for the Brightside Blend Newsletter
