Hundreds honor young deputy


Thursday, May 4, 2006
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Hundreds honor young deputy

By SUE WATSON
Staff Writer

Marshall County deputy sheriff Robert Thomas “Rob” Warren was laid to rest Monday with a military-style service.

“Rob was considered by many as one of the finest young men of this town,” said Jane Callicutt.

Numerous law enforcement agencies were represented at the funeral which included a blue-light procession of patrol cars to Hill Crest Cemetery following 11 a.m. services at Christ Episcopal Church.

Rob joined Marshall County Sheriff’s Department in May 2003 and served until his death, according to his father, Jimmy Warren Jr.

Rob was diagnosed with a very rare form of Cushing’s disease, a neuroendocrine disorder that affects five in a million people, in October 2000, but continued working and attending college until the last two semesters, Jimmy Warren said.

“He was an avid hunter and fisherman and loved to work,” Warren said. “He’s been cutting yards since he was 8 years old.”

Rob was the first recipient of the C.B. Hopper Award, a Legal Studies Student of the Year honor in 2005 from the University of Mississippi established in Hopper’s name as a distinguished professor of sociology. Hopper, who helped establish the Criminal Justice Program at Ole Miss, taught both Rob and his father.

Because of Rob’s strong interest in education, a memorial fund - the Rob Warren Scholarship Fund for Legal Studies - has been set up in his memory. Memorials may be made to the fund at First State Bank or to Christ Episcopal Church in Holly Springs.

Numerous individuals from an array of law enforcement agencies attended Warren’s memorial service, with about 1,100 friends and family at visitation the evening before.

A military-style honor guard service, organized by Marshall County Sheriff Kenny Dickerson, included an array of escorts, taps and a gun salute at graveside.

Among the many friends of the Warren family paying their respects to Rob Warren at church and graveside services were:

nearly the entire staff of the Marshall County Sheriff’s Department, some who served as pallbearers along with Sheriff Kenny Dickerson.
officers and staff of the Holly Springs Police Department, Byhalia Police Department, Benton County Sheriff’s Department and DeSoto County Sheriff’s Department
members of the Holly Springs Fire Department where Jimmy Warren Jr. serves as a volunteer.
personnel with the City of Holly Springs and Marshall County and members of the Marshall County Board of Supervisors.
District Attorney Ben Creekmore and assistant district attorney Lani Hill.
attorneys with the U.S. Attorneys Office in Oxford, the U.S. Marshal’s Service and Chief U.S. District Judge Glen Davidson and judges Allan Alexander and Jerry Davis with the Federal Court in Oxford.
officers with the Drug Enforcement Agency, U.S. Customs and Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics.
Ole Miss professors with the School of Applied Sciences and Department of Legal Studies.
officers with Mississippi Highway Patrol.
officers with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Marshall County constables.
a member of Mississippi Wildlife Fisheries and Parks.
hundreds of friends of the Warren family and law enforcement.

In honor
Mark Blackson, with the DeSoto County Sheriff’s Department, plays taps.

DeSoto County Sheriff’s Department provided two helicopters and four motorcycles as escorts, and an honor guard of eight.

At graveside services, Dickerson presented Mr. and Mrs. Jimmy Warren with the U.S. flag used to cover Rob’s coffin, three empty shell casings from the salute, and Rob’s badge and call number - Marshall # 40 - which is now retired in Warren’s honor.

Dickerson named Rob as 2005 Officer of the Year and presented the award to the young officer at his hospital bedside just days before the officer died.

Jimmy Warren thanked the community for the outpouring of friendship and emotion for the Warren family.

“We can’t say enough to all the friends,” Warren said. “It is a testament to how many friends Rob had.”

DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office Commander Mark Blackson played taps. Captain Charles Lanphere, Lt. Michael Gurley, Lt. Jeremy Degan, and officers Jason Wright, Derrick Booth, Tim Millican, and Paul Leslie served as honor guards.

Rev. Bruce McMillan, pastor of Christ Episcopal Church, presided.

Warren, 24, died April 28, 2006, after a courageous battle with cancer.

He graduated at Marshall Academy with the Class of 1999 and attended Mississippi State University and the University of Mississippi where he studied criminal justice. He was a 2003 graduate of the North Mississippi Law Enforcement Training Center.

He sometimes served as guard for the U.S. Marshal’s Service, providing assistance with prisoner transportation and courtroom security.

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