Behind the old NPD, at 8th and 8th South, was the City Building and water tower. To the right of that, an alley. Beside the alley was a small cottage where Byron Thomlinson and his family lived. We knew Byron well from the time he was just a youngster. A mischievous youngster. We used to joke that we hired Byron as a Dispatcher so we could keep a closer eye on him.
Gail Addison, who graduated with Byron, reminded me that he was the first Eagle mascot at Naples High School. Yep, that was him inside the Evil Eye Fleegle costume. He was also the vendor of portable Screwdrivers, oranges that he injected with vodka and sold to the other students. And he liked to put bumper stickers on my detective's car that read, "This is an unmarked Batmobile." Once he even got the locked car open and put a Batman sticker on my steering wheel.
But, the fact was he was hired because someone saw in him a trait that can't be taught. He had that "right place at the right time" gene that would put him, magically, in the center of the action. Or the chase, or whatever was going on.
Chester Keene sent me a news clipping relating how Byron had caught two different groups of auto burglars on his first two days at work as a cop.
Byron was the first I remember to be allowed to become a cop under the age of 21. The age was lowered to 18. Trouble was we had to buy his bullets. You still couldn't buy them until you were 21.
Byron moved on to the CCSO where he was a Road Deputy, Investigator, and Lt in charge of the Marco Island Sub-station for years. Then, he started feeling bad.
Local doctors couldn't determine what he had and mis-diagnosed him a dozen times. Finally, a doctor/relative urged him to go to Shands find out what was pulling him down.
I remember standing out in front of the SO, smoking a cigarette, when Byron came walking up, just back from his Shands visit.
"What'd they find out I?" I asked.
"Said I had a disease called amy-something and I had 6-months to live."
I was floored. I knew he wasn't up to par but he was still young and looked strong and healthy. I thought he was putting me on.
"Don't worry," I said, "only the good die young."
He was dead in three months.
The disease was Acute Amyloidosis. Doctors don't know what causes it. As I understand it, your internal organs just start growing, then fail. At the same time, the Governor of Pennsylvania had the same thing and had transplants of his lungs and liver. But, it was only a temporary remedy.
Byron left another Byron he'd be proud of. He works for the CCSO and looks and sounds like Dad.
Wish Byron was still around to see it.
Gail Addison, who graduated with Byron, reminded me that he was the first Eagle mascot at Naples High School. Yep, that was him inside the Evil Eye Fleegle costume. He was also the vendor of portable Screwdrivers, oranges that he injected with vodka and sold to the other students. And he liked to put bumper stickers on my detective's car that read, "This is an unmarked Batmobile." Once he even got the locked car open and put a Batman sticker on my steering wheel.
But, the fact was he was hired because someone saw in him a trait that can't be taught. He had that "right place at the right time" gene that would put him, magically, in the center of the action. Or the chase, or whatever was going on.
Chester Keene sent me a news clipping relating how Byron had caught two different groups of auto burglars on his first two days at work as a cop.
Byron was the first I remember to be allowed to become a cop under the age of 21. The age was lowered to 18. Trouble was we had to buy his bullets. You still couldn't buy them until you were 21.
Byron moved on to the CCSO where he was a Road Deputy, Investigator, and Lt in charge of the Marco Island Sub-station for years. Then, he started feeling bad.
Local doctors couldn't determine what he had and mis-diagnosed him a dozen times. Finally, a doctor/relative urged him to go to Shands find out what was pulling him down.
I remember standing out in front of the SO, smoking a cigarette, when Byron came walking up, just back from his Shands visit.
"What'd they find out I?" I asked.
"Said I had a disease called amy-something and I had 6-months to live."
I was floored. I knew he wasn't up to par but he was still young and looked strong and healthy. I thought he was putting me on.
"Don't worry," I said, "only the good die young."
He was dead in three months.
The disease was Acute Amyloidosis. Doctors don't know what causes it. As I understand it, your internal organs just start growing, then fail. At the same time, the Governor of Pennsylvania had the same thing and had transplants of his lungs and liver. But, it was only a temporary remedy.
Byron left another Byron he'd be proud of. He works for the CCSO and looks and sounds like Dad.
Wish Byron was still around to see it.
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