Retirement celebration held for Boggs

A retirement celebration for outgoing Mason County Sheriff Patrick Boggs was held on Thursday.

As everyone arrived to the courthouse and sat down in their seats, Mason County Judge Executive Owen McNeill gave an opening remark.

“We are gathered here today we are celebrating the career of Sheriff Boggs we’re celebrating almost three decades of service to Mason County and law enforcement 17 years and four months as Mason County Sheriff, nine years and five months as Mason County Deputy,” McNeill stated.

He said that through those three decades Boggs trained deputies and formed a fantastic team at the Sheriff’s Department that is recognized in the state.

“Additionally there was almost three decades of service equate to him being on call where going out leaving his family in some of the worst times, some of the worst weather and some of the worst emergencies our community and county has seen,” McNeill stated.

He expressed that Boggs has served with integrity, courage and a love for the community.

McNeill and Mason County commissioners presented Boggs with a few gifts and a plaque stating, “We’re going to present to you as a honorary Mason County pioneer you’re actually the seventy fifth Mason County pioneer.”

Mason County Judge Jeff Schumacher walked to the podium to give remarks stating Boggs was a good kid added responsible and reliable serving of others while upholding the law.

“He has been an outstanding Sheriff and was first and foremost an outstanding human being,” Shumacher stated.

He presented Boggs with a personalized bottle of Maker’s Mark bourbon as a gift for his retirement.

“People often forget the sacrifices that law enforcement officers, families make in order for them to do the job they do,” Shumacher stated.

Mason County Sheriff’s Deputy and newly appointed interim Sheriff Ryan Swolsky in his remarks stated a thank does not do justice for what Boggs has done both for the county and him personally.

“Holding a position of power does not automatically make someone a leader you see there’s a difference between a leader and a boss a boss directs from the back a leader is the first through the door a boss listens to himself and a leader listens to all council and carefully weighs it before making a decision, a boss cares for his status a leader sacrifices the opinion of men to do what is right Patrick you are a leader,” Swolsky stated.

He further said it was an honor to serve under Boggs’ leadership honoring his family who were in attendance at the celebration.

Boggs’ daughter Avra Boggs stated, “Growing up, all I’d ever known was the sheriff’s office and how passionate my father is about it seeing him dedicate so much time to helping others and making sure everyone is safe is truly inspiring to say the least.”

She said she was happy to be able to ride along with her father on some of his chapter that is ending.

“From being in the cruiser with him so much that I memorized the phonetic alphabet or to simply being my biggest role model and the person I look up to the most,” A. Boggs stated.

Lastly, during the celebration Boggs walked up to the podium to give his thoughts and remarks to everyone.

“27 years have been from the heart and I think we have done a good job that the Sheriff’s Office and your elected officials here in Mason County it’s been my honor and my pleasure I wish it could go on but you know although I might not be that old in some people’s books it’s been a rough year a rough couple of years,” Boggs stated.

He said you think more as you get older including what you’ve missed and he wants to be with his family more.

“I want to thank everyone for the support and the friendship through the years because I didn’t do this I didn’t, it never has been my office it’s always been yours there’s,” Boggs stated.

Boggs stated his thanks and apologies for leaving early from the term that it is a humble profession and he has loved every day of it with many stories to tell.