Wilbert Recognizes Families of Fallen Officers
LEAWOOD, KS, May 15, 2024 – Wilbert Funeral Services, Inc. (“Wilbert”) announces participation in Washington, DC, Police Officers Week activities 2024.
For many people, the month of May signifies the beginning of spring, but for the Law Enforcement community it means remembering their brothers and sisters who paid the ultimate sacrifice with their life. May 15th is Peace Officers Memorial Day, a day in which our nation honors peace officers killed in the line of duty from the previous year. A special remembrance ceremony is held in Washington, DC, on the west lawn of the Capitol.
In the week leading up to the remembrance ceremony, tens of thousands of peace officers from across the United States converge on Washington to honor and remember the fallen officers. Since 2006, Wilbert has participated in this annual remembrance by presenting framed personalized lithographs to families who lost a loved one in the line of duty. This year from May 11th thru May 13th, Wilbert honored 222 fallen officers. The number of deaths seems shockingly high; however, when compared to the COVID years of 2021 (563 deaths) and 2022 (443 deaths), the number is receding to more historic levels.
During 19 years of participating in police week, Wilbert has presented 3,992 framed personalized lithographs to families whose officer’s name is etched into the wall at the Law Enforcement memorial. Year after year families share their appreciation of Wilbert with statements such as, “you have no idea how much this picture means to us. I was not prepared for this … thank you for this beautiful gift.” During the presentation it is common for family members to also reflect and reminisce about the Stainless Steel Triune burial vault that Wilbert donated to honor their loved one, and when they do, their eyes widen as they recall the artwork on the carapace all while sharing their appreciation for Wilbert’s generosity.
The decision Wilbert made 19 years ago to participate in police week coupled with the support the Wilbert Licensee network has provided through the First Responders program, hits at the core of who Wilbert Licensees are … caring, compassionate, dedicated, committed, supportive, and respectful. It is our hope that we continue our participation in police week for many more years to come.
For more information about Wilbert Funeral Services, Inc., visit www.wilbert.com or call (708) 865-1600.
About Wilbert Funeral Services, Inc.
Established in 1880, Wilbert Funeral Services, Inc. is a licensor of, and supplier to, independently owned concrete burial vault manufacturers that are licensed to manufacture Wilbert® brand burial vaults under an intellectual property license agreement including the sale of cremation products, vault forms, liners, and other related products to the licensees. The company sells popular funeral industry products directly to funeral home customers through its brands and vast manufacturing and distribution network. The unique wholly owned brands of Wilbert include Pierce, Astral, Hoffman Burial Supply, Continental Caskets, Memorial Monuments & Vaults, Wilbert Memorials, and SI Precast. Through these combined brands Wilbert offers burial vaults, lawn crypts, cemetery services, urns, urn vaults, embalming chemicals, prep room supplies, a large variety of caskets, monuments, and an extensive offering of precast concrete products. Wilbert also provides industry specific educational programs through its remote continuing education offering, WilbertEDU. Further educational involvement is provided by Wilbert’s sponsorship, support, and alignment with Pierce Mortuary Colleges, which rank as three of the top funeral service colleges in America.
