From BCPD
The late Bay City Police Department Detective Juan Delgado will be honored at the Texas Peace Officers Memorial in Austin on the weekend of April 27 and 28.
Texas Peace Officer Memorial honors all peace officers who have died in the line of duty in Texas and to enable fellow officers to participate in the ceremonies held in honor of the fallen. Detective Delgado was born July 7, 1954, in Port Lavaca, to Alfonso and Pauline Delgado.
The youngest of the three children, Juan, graduated from Calhoun High School in 1971 at the age of seventeen and immediately enlisted in the U.S. Army.
Juan loved serving his country and was a proud member of the 82nd Airborne Division and a Combat Medic.
His dedication to service and his community was evident by his 43 years as a Texas law enforcement officer.
Of all of Juan’s achievements and accolades, none made him prouder than being a father to his three children, Julia, Dani and JD.
When all three of his children followed in his footsteps and became police officers themselves, their family dinners were never quite the same.
In 2004 Juan married Cynthia (Garza) Vega and gained two more children, Candace and Brian.
Over the years, Juan had some health issues, battling back each time and overcoming every obstacle from Guillain Barre to colon cancer.
“Quit” was not something Juan knew how to do.
Juan contracted COVID-19 and tested positive on July 15, 2020.
A few days later, he was transported to the hospital and our lives would never be the same.
Detective Delgado passed away due to complications from Covid, peacefully on July 15, 2021, one year to the day of his original diagnosis.
He was a friend to many.
He went out of his way to help his co-workers.
They were not only his co-workers, to him, they were his family.
He mentored many young officers serving as a field training officer.
His presence is greatly missed.
Detective Delgado was previously honored with having his name placed on the wall at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C. on May 14, 2022.
This year’s ceremony in Austin will begin with a Memorial Ride from 2 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
The ride concludes at the Memorial Wall.
There will be a Memorial Honor Guard March on Congress Avenue at 6:30 pm and the Texas Peace Officers’ Memorial Ceremony and Vigil at the Memorial Wall will begin at 6:45 pm.
For those wanting more details you can visit https://www.texaspeaceofficersmemorial.org/images/events/2024_Memorial_Event_Guide.pdf for the complete event guide.