It was an unhappy surprise to see an obituary for Bill Zielinski, a longtime employee of the Coatesville Police Department. I hadn't seen Bill in years, but when I was a police reporter I saw him every Tuesday morning while making my police station rounds.
Bill was one of my absolute favorites. If there had been a particularly weird incident that week (and there were plenty in the Ville), he'd have the case folder ready and he'd present it to me eagerly, like a waiter offering up a toothsome soufflé. He was fond of sharing crime-scene photos (as a reporter you can't really protest, "too much information!") and once tested out the department's new mugshot software with me as the model. He was a history buff and enjoyed reading the genre of fiction where the author takes a real incident and morphs one part of it (for instance, what if the South had won the Civil War?).
As hardened as he was, he turned into a softie when talking about his daughter. Those were photos I actually enjoyed seeing.
My condolences to his family. I enjoyed working with you, Bill, and thanks.
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