By KEVIN CHIRI
Slidell news bureau
SLIDELL – Funeral services were held on Monday for Slidell Police Officer John Cole, who died on Wednesday, Sept. 10 from injuries he received in an automobile accident on Sunday, Sept. 7.
Cole was driving a 2005 Jeep on Hwy. 433 outside of Slidell near the Rigolets when he lost control at approximately 4:33 a.m. Also killed in the crash was Daniel Hanlon, a longtime friend of his, who was a coach at Salmen High School.
Funeral services for Hanlon were held last week at St. Luke’s Catholic Church in Slidell, while services for Cole were held at the Slidell Municipal Auditorium.
On Monday, over 600 people packed the Slidell Auditorium for the Cole services, which ended with a police procession to Honaker Funeral Home. Law enforcement from the St. Tammany Sheriff’s Office, as well as various regional agencies, turned out to show their support.
“Words cannot describe the tremendous loss of both Detective Cole and Daniel Hanlon,” Slidell Police Spokesman Det. Daniel Seuzeneau said in a press statement. “Both were engaged with our local community; Cole a public servant and Hanlon a teacher/coach. Each one strived to make a difference in people’s lives on a daily basis, and while doing so, touched the hearts of many.”
The GoFundMe link titled “Det. John Cole Memorial Fund” is the official fund for those who wish to donate to the family, Seuzeneau said. “The fund is being established to help with expenses for the family, and to establish a trust fund for his two daughters, age 4 and 6-months.
Cole, a graduate of Salmen High, has worked his entire life in law enforcement, first as a jailer for the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office, then with the Mandeville Police Department, before he joined the Slidell Police Department in 2007 as a detective working primarily in narcotics.
A scholarship fund has been set up in memory of Hanlon and donations may be made to Pope John Paul II High School. Funds can be mailed to Pope John Paul II High School, 1901 Jaguar Dr., Slidell, LA 70461, Attention: Daniel Hanlon Fund. For more information, call 985-649-0914.
Hanlon, also a lifelong Slidell resident who graduated from Salmen High, was a former assistant football coach for Pope John Paul High School and was the powerlifting coach there, leading the team to a state championship.
He also coached at Chalmette High for one year before returning to Salmen this past year as an assistant football coach. Hanlon was a member of the Salmen High state championship football team in 2000, as was Cole.
Hanlon was preceded in death by an older brother, while Cole was also preceded in death by two brothers.
Slidell Chief of Police Randy Smith issued a statement, saying “the upcoming days are going to be rough for all of us, but we will get through it. I want to thank the community for their overwhelming show of support for these two men, who dedicated their lives to helping others.”