Mark Weddleton choked up a few times as he talked about his father during a funeral Mass yesterday.
“You are my hero, my idol. I hope that I can continue to make you proud,” said the 23-year-old to his father, state police Sgt. Doug Weddleton, who was killed Friday in Mansfield by an alleged drunk driver.
During yesterday’s emotional goodbye at a Brockton church, more than 3,500 troopers and officers, some from as far away as Arizona and Texas, stood at attention as Weddleton’s casket was carried inside.
“It’s a tragedy and we’re just here to show our support for our brother,” said Rhode Island State Police Col. Brendan Doherty.
Weddleton’s wife Judith, and four sons, who range in age from 14 to 26, walked past color guards into the church for the nearly 90-minute Mass.
“It was to protect others that he stopped a drunk driver … and in doing so he paid the ultimate sacrifice,” said state police Col. Marian McGovern.
Members of the Brockton community, some holding American flags, watched from sidewalks and lined the procession route. Weddleton was remembered as a devoted father and dedicated trooper who worked long hours on little sleep to help put his sons through school.
“Now get some rest, dad,”?his son said. “You’ve earned it.”
