Today at 11 a.m., police officers and colleagues of Edward William Eldridge Jr. are to gather at Ruck Funeral Home in Towson for a final goodbye. Eldridge was a Baltimore police officer for 26 years, and he took his own life last month.

Even sadder, Eldridge lived alone, had no family or friends and couldn't find anyone to stay with him for a few hours while he had outpatient surgery at Franklin Square Hospital Center. Distraught, he called 911, told the operator he was going to shoot himself and then pulled the trigger. He was lying on his bed in the upstairs room of the Northeast Baltimore house he had grown up in on Daywalt Avenue.

To the end, he was considerate. He left the door open for officers and he told the operator he called because he was afraid no one would find his body, and he didn't want to stink up house of the woman who lived next door. As much as I wanted to tell Eldridge's story, I also wanted to tell the city about the homicide detective, Randy Wynn, who not only investigated the case, but claimed the body so that the officer could have a proper buriel.

This story has gotten me more e-mails and phone calls than I could possibly imagine. Suicides are always painful, and difficult to write about, but I think this one touched a nerve because Eldridge was alone, and that seems impossible in this day and age. Some people wanted to know even more. I'm sorry, I simply didn't have information on whether the officer suffered from depression, nor did I know any friends until now. I think it also scared some people into thinking that they too could die alone. One woman called me yesterday to say that all of her neighbors were rude, "and that if my husband goes first, I'll die and nobody will find me until I rot."

How sad.

I've posted a few e-mails on this blog -- I selected the ones from people who knew Eldridge and learned from my story that he had died. I've been hesitant to share others simply because I don't take praise very well. But here are three that I found particularly heartfelt:

My name is Ernie Anderson and I was a Sergeant with the Baltimore Police Department. We met on several occasions prior to your departure overseas. Welcome back. I would like to thank you for your thoughtful and kind column on the sad death of retired Officer Edward Eldridge. You respected his service to the community and gave his tragic death dignity. You infused your piece with thoughtfulness and compassion. Thank you.

Your article in Monday's paper regarding Edward William Eldridge was eloquent. I do not usually write responses such as this, yet something about your article touched the soul. I sincerely hope that the response from the public was positive and that former colleagues did, infact, show up to pay tribute to this man. It is a sad commentary when a person's life and accomplishments are passed over by the world around them. Often through circumstance, each and every one of us has the possibility to find ourselves in the same situation of lonliness and despair that Officer Eldridge found himself in. Parents pass on. Spouses seperate or pass on themselves. People remain childless. And, as we age,  sometimes we become cynical and just plain uncomfortable with the world around us and the thoughtless throngs who seem to populate it. Worthwhile friends become fewer and farther between. Yet a person's life, such as that of Officer Eldridge,  by all accounts  deserves to be recognized. I applaud your writing on his behalf and the efforts of Detective Wynn as well. Sometimes,  we have nothing left to give besides our decency. Unfortunately,  common decency seems to be far too lacking in today's society. Your decency and understanding, as well as Detective Wynn's, showed through loud and clear. Thank you both for your efforts. The public needs to be reminded every once in the while of the forgotten stories of our society. I imagine Officer Eldridge would be appreciative.

Dear Mr. Hermann,
I don’t know.
I still don’t know.
I still don’t know what brought me to Ruck’s Funeral Home earlier tonight to the viewing of retired police officer Edward W. Eldridge Jr. I’m not a police officer, and have never been in the service, and I knew nothing about Officer Eldridge until I read your article of February 9th. Maybe I went to the viewing because of the way a Polytechnic Institute and University of Maryland graduate; army veteran; and 26 year Baltimore City police officer died - alone - thinking he had no one to turn to.
Maybe it was because of officer Eldridge’s service to our country and our city, or maybe because of Detective Randy Wynn, who went out of his way to see that officer Eldridge was properly honored his death. I was fortunate enough to talk with Detective Wynn this evening. Randy Wynn represents all cops, who protect us day and night and who suffer the effects of dealing with the worst that we are for an entire career. But I do know that if you hadn’t written your mesmerizing article about officer Eldridge, I never would have known about this sad story. Thank you for telling us about the life of officer Eldridge and the caring Detective Wynn. I still don’t know why felt like I had to go to the viewing.

Bob Ryan
Towson