SPRINGFIELD, MA – A Hampden County Sheriff’s deputy with over three decades of service passed away earlier in October due to a tragic accident while out hunting with one of his sons in the mountainous regions of Cordova, Alaska. As the fallen deputy’s surviving family comes to terms with the enormous loss, they’re also now enduring the financial burdens that come with a loved one’s unexpected passing.
On October 1, Deputy John DeLuca was out on a hunting trip with one of his sons when local authorities say he’d suffered a fatal fall from Queen’s Chair, with authorities identifying another who was seriously injured as well.
Johnny DeLuca, Deputy DeLuca’s son, shared the news of his father’s passing on Facebook, noting how it was his younger brother, Dave, who was the other one injured in the accident, as Johnny’s brother tried to prevent his father from falling off the cliff.
“My brother made his way down first to check the terrain, exactly as he had done throughout the whole hunt. Dave descended safely and gave my dad the go-ahead,” Johnny wrote of the incident, adding, “As my dad started down that same path, he lost his footing and started to slide. The slide turned into a fall, and he picked up an enormous amount of momentum. My brother, despite knowing my dad was moving way too quickly to be stopped, still threw himself in front of my father’s body anyway.”
Describing his younger brother’s survival as a miracle, Johnny added that the injuries sustained by his surviving sibling are still quite serious, writing, “He had lacerations everywhere, a right shoulder fully out of its socket with every tendon and ligament in it torn, a torn right bicep, four fractured vertebrae, and multiple broken ribs.”
Regardless of the serious injuries sustained during the fall and a shattered phone inside his pocket, Dave was able to call for help using Siri, but learned a rescue helicopter would take hours to arrive. Despite Deputy DeLuca’s son rendering hours of CPR while awaiting a medevac, Deputy DeLuca was sadly declared deceased upon arrival at a nearby hospital.
Deputy DeLuca’s unexpected passing also deeply affected the local law enforcement community in Springfield, Massachusetts, as Deputy DeLuca played a pivotal role in establishing the Prisoner Apprehension Unit for the Hampden County Sheriff’s Office back in 1992 amid his storied career with the agency.
In a Facebook post shared by the Hampden County Sheriff's Office detailing the unfortunate news of Deputy DeLuca’s passing, Sheriff Nick Cocchi expressed his condolences while also announcing that Deputy DeLuca’s badge number will be retired in his honor.
“John was the kind of person you could always count on - steady, kind, and deeply committed to the work and to the people around him,” Sheriff Cocchi stated, adding, “He embodied what it means to serve with integrity and compassion, and his loss will be felt deeply throughout our entire organization. In his honor, we are retiring Silver Badge 156 so that no one will ever wear that number again.”
During Deputy DeLuca’s nearly 40-year career with the sheriff’s office, he held a litany of roles, including serving as Deputy Sheriff, Lieutenant, and, most recently in an Administrative Training role. The fallen deputy was also part of the sheriff’s office’s Tactical Response Team and provided private defensive tactics training to innumerable officers.
The blue blood runs deep in the DeLuca family as well, as the deputy’s brother served with the Southwick Police Department before retiring in 2022 after 25 years, as well as his youngest son, Christopher, who currently serves with the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office in Colorado.
As Deputy DeLuca’s family comes to grips with his passing, they are also faced with the financial burdens associated with his death, alongside the medical costs stemming from his son Dave’s severe injuries. In an Instagram post from the deputy’s son, John, he spelled out the challenges ahead with his father’s passing.
“My brother Dave does not have health insurance. My father did not have life insurance. Humbly, we are seeking funds to help pay for Dave’s hospital bills, upcoming shoulder surgery, physical therapy, funeral/service costs, and financial assistance for my mother over the coming months as she navigates her new reality without her husband of 41 years.”
With all this family has been through with losing a loved one alongside enduring the journey to recovery for the deputy’s selfless son, the last thing they should have to worry about is the costs associated with navigating this traumatic event. A GoFundMe has been established to help raise funds for this fallen deputy’s family. Any donations can be made by clicking the link here.
On October 1, Deputy John DeLuca was out on a hunting trip with one of his sons when local authorities say he’d suffered a fatal fall from Queen’s Chair, with authorities identifying another who was seriously injured as well.
Johnny DeLuca, Deputy DeLuca’s son, shared the news of his father’s passing on Facebook, noting how it was his younger brother, Dave, who was the other one injured in the accident, as Johnny’s brother tried to prevent his father from falling off the cliff.
“My brother made his way down first to check the terrain, exactly as he had done throughout the whole hunt. Dave descended safely and gave my dad the go-ahead,” Johnny wrote of the incident, adding, “As my dad started down that same path, he lost his footing and started to slide. The slide turned into a fall, and he picked up an enormous amount of momentum. My brother, despite knowing my dad was moving way too quickly to be stopped, still threw himself in front of my father’s body anyway.”
Describing his younger brother’s survival as a miracle, Johnny added that the injuries sustained by his surviving sibling are still quite serious, writing, “He had lacerations everywhere, a right shoulder fully out of its socket with every tendon and ligament in it torn, a torn right bicep, four fractured vertebrae, and multiple broken ribs.”
Regardless of the serious injuries sustained during the fall and a shattered phone inside his pocket, Dave was able to call for help using Siri, but learned a rescue helicopter would take hours to arrive. Despite Deputy DeLuca’s son rendering hours of CPR while awaiting a medevac, Deputy DeLuca was sadly declared deceased upon arrival at a nearby hospital.
Deputy DeLuca’s unexpected passing also deeply affected the local law enforcement community in Springfield, Massachusetts, as Deputy DeLuca played a pivotal role in establishing the Prisoner Apprehension Unit for the Hampden County Sheriff’s Office back in 1992 amid his storied career with the agency.
In a Facebook post shared by the Hampden County Sheriff's Office detailing the unfortunate news of Deputy DeLuca’s passing, Sheriff Nick Cocchi expressed his condolences while also announcing that Deputy DeLuca’s badge number will be retired in his honor.
“John was the kind of person you could always count on - steady, kind, and deeply committed to the work and to the people around him,” Sheriff Cocchi stated, adding, “He embodied what it means to serve with integrity and compassion, and his loss will be felt deeply throughout our entire organization. In his honor, we are retiring Silver Badge 156 so that no one will ever wear that number again.”
During Deputy DeLuca’s nearly 40-year career with the sheriff’s office, he held a litany of roles, including serving as Deputy Sheriff, Lieutenant, and, most recently in an Administrative Training role. The fallen deputy was also part of the sheriff’s office’s Tactical Response Team and provided private defensive tactics training to innumerable officers.
The blue blood runs deep in the DeLuca family as well, as the deputy’s brother served with the Southwick Police Department before retiring in 2022 after 25 years, as well as his youngest son, Christopher, who currently serves with the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office in Colorado.
As Deputy DeLuca’s family comes to grips with his passing, they are also faced with the financial burdens associated with his death, alongside the medical costs stemming from his son Dave’s severe injuries. In an Instagram post from the deputy’s son, John, he spelled out the challenges ahead with his father’s passing.
“My brother Dave does not have health insurance. My father did not have life insurance. Humbly, we are seeking funds to help pay for Dave’s hospital bills, upcoming shoulder surgery, physical therapy, funeral/service costs, and financial assistance for my mother over the coming months as she navigates her new reality without her husband of 41 years.”
With all this family has been through with losing a loved one alongside enduring the journey to recovery for the deputy’s selfless son, the last thing they should have to worry about is the costs associated with navigating this traumatic event. A GoFundMe has been established to help raise funds for this fallen deputy’s family. Any donations can be made by clicking the link here.
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