HOUSTON — Senior Houston Police Officer William ‘Bill’ Jeffrey was remembered by his city, his colleagues and his family in an emotional funeral service Monday.
The service, which was at Grace Church in Houston, featured addresses from Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, Police Chief Troy Finner and officer Jeffrey's daughter, Lacie.
During the service, Mayor Turner proclaimed Monday, September 27, 2021, as Senior Officer William 'Bill' Jeffrey Day in the city of Houston.
"All of us come together to say, 'Bill, thank you for giving of yourself to this city,'" Turner said. "And to this family, we lift you up and may God guide you every single day.”
Finner spoke of officer Jeffrey's service, mentioning his history with the department. Officer Jeffrey was in HPD's major offenders unit for 12 years. While there, he executed more than 4,000 warrants with 2,500 arrests.
"That is to be horned and never forgotten,” said Finner.
Lacie Jeffrey spoke lovingly of her father at his funeral, saying he was more than an officer. He was a brother, an uncle, a friend. Most importantly, she said, he was a husband and a father and a grandfather.
Lacie told stories of her father, including his love for greeting cards. She said he would underline key messages in the cards he would send and write his own note in it.
She recalled one instance when she was accepted into Texas A&M and the card she got from her dad. At the bottom of the card, he wrote 'HNB.'
"I called him, and in the midst of that conversation, I asked him, 'Hey dad, what does HNB mean?'" said Lacie. "I could feel him roll his eyes through the phone and he said, ‘Hold nothing back, duh,' like I was supposed to know that! I’m pretty sure he just made that up.”
It was a message she would wrap her eulogy up with.
"I am so, so proud of him. I will miss him every single day for the rest of my life, and I will do everything in my power to keep his memory alive until I meet him at heaven's gate," she said. "There are not enough words to express how grateful I am to each and every one of you who are here today. Thank you just doesn't seem like enough. We have a long road ahead of us, but if I can ask anything of you, it is to live your life to the fullest, remind your family how much you love them and hold nothing back."
Detective Paul Lowery knew Officer Jeffrey for more than 40 years and considered him one of his closest friends.
“We were really a weird pair. I don’t know if he enjoyed being the center of attention or he just was the center of attention. Everywhere he walked in he took over the room with that big smile,” said Lowery.
Officer Jeffrey was a graduate of Spring High School. He studied criminal justice at Sam Houston State University and served in the Navy before becoming an officer.
“He was the closest thing to a brother I’ve ever had,' Lowery added. "It was Bill’s passion for life and for people, that’s what I admired about him. It kept me fully engaged in the Bill Jeffrey galaxy.”
You can watch the full service here
You can see Lacie Jeffrey's full address in the window below.
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner declared Monday Senior Officer William Jeffrey Day in Houston
Houston Police Chief Troy Finner on William Jeffrey:
Friend and HPD Det. Paul Lowery talks about William Jeffrey's sense of humor:
Dr. Charles Lowery reads William Jeffrey's obituary:
Full message from Grace Church Pastor Dallas Wilson:
Jeffrey was just 54 years old when he was killed in the line of duty last Monday. His partner, HPD Sergeant Michael Vance, was also shot and he is recovering.
Jeffrey was just a few days shy of 31 years in law enforcement. He was well-respected by his colleagues and considered one of the best.
A procession took Jeffrey's casket from the funeral home in Tomball to a church in Houston for the service.