A child says 'bye' to his fallen father
Six of the saddest, most gut-wrenching words in the city's history were spoken Friday by a little boy with short brown hair.
"Bye daddy. I love you, daddy," 4-year-old Dominic Lorenzo said at the funeral for his father, Philadelphia police Officer Brian Lorenzo.
Mayor Nutter recalled the heartbreaking message shortly before the funeral began about noon at the Cathedral Basilica of Ss. Peter and Paul.
"I will never forget it," Nutter said of Dominic's farewell to his father. "I will use it to continue to push me, push us, to do better, to try our best to make sure that our public servants, our first responders, our police, our fire, our medics and all public employees and citizens in this city are safer."
Lorenzo, 48, was on his way home from work early Sunday when an allegedly drunk driver going the wrong way on I-95 smashed into his Highway Patrol motorcyle.
The married father of three was killed instantly. John Leck, 47, the driver of the Audi that struck Lorenzo, survived the crash, and now faces third-degree murder charges.
Lorenzo was laid to rest at Resurrection Cemetery in Bensalem following the funeral.
The city is all-too-familiar with mourning fallen police officers. Between 2006 and 2009, seven cops died in the line of duty.
But instead of going numb from the pain, from the agonizing sight of a flag-draped coffin and the sound of bagpipes, Lorenzo's friends and family tried to focus on what made him such an important part of their lives.
They told stories about how he loved to play dominoes and horseshoes and how devoted he was to his wife, Linda, and their kids Brian, 24, Marissa, 22, and little Dominic.
Deputy Police Commissioner Richie Ross described Lorenzo as a serious, proud cop who also wasn't afraid to do silly things, like singing off-key songs to his wife to make her laugh.
"All we have to do is close our eyes and we can see that smile, that twinkle in his eyes," said Sgt. Mike Walton, who worked with Lorenzo in Highway Patrol for five years.
"As tough as we are in Highway, to a man, if you'd ever say the words 'Brian Lorenzo,' [cops] would automatically say, 'I love him.'
"He had the love of everybody, the respect of everybody, and he had a family that was his world," Walton said.
Ross said Lorenzo, a 23-year veteran of the force, served as an informal mentor to numerous young cops.
"Brian was the definition of what a man is supposed to be," said a tearful Manny Lorenzo, Brian's younger brother, who joined the force out of admiration for his sibling.
"In his quiet way, he helped mold me into the man and police officer I am today. I miss Brian so much already. I struggle with his death every day and often wonder why such an honorable man could be taken so soon.
"But I hear him in the background, saying everything will be OK," Lorenzo said.
