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ahead. He had a simple salve for how to get through these days: Faith in Conrad.
The inspiration Father Dan referenced came from various parts
of the scripture. They all sounded like they applied to Gary.
“Blessed are you who hunger and thirst for what is right.”
“Blessed are you who are merciful, you who are peacemakers. Or in Conrad’s case, peacekeepers.”
“Blessed is Conrad who embodies these very attributes and then some. He embodied honor, loyalty and integrity.”
The homily crescendoed with the motivation and encourage- ment to move forward following the legacy of Conrad Gary.
“In difficult days like this, we can rejoice, we can be glad because if we follow Conrad’s example, to put others before ourselves, Con- rad’s example of serving and loving others, guess what? We’ll be great,” Father Dan concluded.

The qualities that made Conrad Gary an honorable and faithful public servant manifested when he fulfilled his dream of being a Chicago Police Officer. And they were no doubt honed during his five years in the U.S. Air Force.
But Gary’s dedication, devotion and desire to serve were inherit- ed from his parents and emboldened by Kelly. If there is any lesson the loss of four Chicago Police Officers in 2018 confirmed, it’s that family is the foundation of their fortitude to help the community, to serve, to be peacemakers.
Gary learned about dedication from his father. As a lineman serving a public utility, Michael Gary climbed poles in the grueling heat of summer and icy cold of Chicagoland winters. Officers in 005 heard Gary talk about his family all the time, and the dissertations usually included the words, “My father is my hero.”
If you rode in a beat car with Gary, that conversation would also include a declaration of his love for Kelly, his true sweetheart and soul mate whom he married in 2011. And when Tess came along, Gary loved to share the slideshow on his phone of his baby girl.
“Oh my god, yes, he loved talking about his baby, showing me pictures,” revealed Gustavo Velazquez, who worked third watch in 005 with Gary. “I had my babies, too. We talked how you would have to juggle the schedules every day. We talked about changing diapers and feedings. He lit up like the sun about the baby and his family.”
After graduating from Eastern Illinois University in 2009, Gary joined the Air Force. He spent part of his tour in Germany, was a military police officer and became a decorated soldier who rose to the rank of sergeant. When Johnson praised Gary’s military service, he recognized that he “brought the professionalism he learned in the Air Force to the Chicago Police Department.”
Father Dan shared a story at the funeral Mass that seemed to accentuate Gary’s commitment to family and friends, his military grounding and his inherent passion to serve. Before he joined the Air Force, a buddy had joined the Marines. While he was away, Con- rad would visit his friend’s mom on a regular basis to make sure everything in the house was OK.
“He was that kind of person,” Father Dan added. “Always putting others before himself.”

Gary liked to put the officers in 005 before himself on a regular basis at the start of his tour. He would pop for coffee as often as possible. Now, those on his watch would confirm that Gary was not always the first person to pull a dollar out of his pocket.
After the tragedy on Dec. 17, Maria Marmolejo noted to Kelly Gary about how appreciative her husband was for Conrad buying coffee for Eduardo. As Johnson noted during his funeral remarks,
32 CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ JANUARY 2019
Kelly told Maria that Conrad was lucky enough to get a year’s worth of coupons from Dunkin’ Donuts, and that’s how he was buying the coffee.
Gary’s strong, silent impeccability exuded a presence that elic- ited a uniform response from 005 officers when asked about their guy. He was a young officer moving in the right direction, they all said. He was somebody who would eventually rise in the ranks, which Johnson noted was a rare distinction for an officer who had been on less than two years.
Officer Eric Schaade, who calls himself the ball-buster in 005, tried to get a rise out Gary when they rode together. But his quips were met with Gary’s stoicism that reiterated why he wanted to be the police and what he wanted to accomplish on the job.
“He was one of the boys,” Schaade said. “He was still observing when he was with me, but he wasn’t afraid to do his job.”
That Gary would overwhelmingly make the grade was never an issue. For Mayer, Gary showed his ability to make the highest grade as soon as he came on.
“He was an A-plus guy who made his family really proud of who he was,” Mayer described. “Best partner you could have. He re- spected everybody on the street and everybody we came across. He came in to do his job every day.”

In his inimitable style, Father Dan wanted to bring a smile to augment this difficult day. So he pointed out that Gary did have one flaw.
“He was a diehard Cubs fan,” Father Dan mused.
As a diehard Sox fan, though, Father Dan evoked a piece of his team’s lore to pay a final tribute to Gary. The White Sox spawned the “Grinder Ball Rules,” a list of requiems and commandments for fans to properly apply their passion.
Father Dan asked if anybody knew rule No. 1.
A response came immediately:
“Win or die trying.”
Research into some of the other Grinder Ball Rules finds words of
inspiration that truly apply to Conrad Gary.
23. When all is said and done, make sure you have done more
than you said.
33. The best way to get out of a hole is to dig deeper.
38. You’re either counted on or counted out.
55. It’s called stepping up to the plate for a reason.
And the last rule on the list, No. 174:
Hoist the city up on your shoulders. They’ll return the favor.
No expression seems more appropriate to honor the legacy of
Chicago Police Officer Conrad Gary.