He was 'awesome'

Friends and family of former Roseville Police Officer Richard T. Hinds are mourning the loss of a man equally dedicated to law enforcement, family and friends.Hinds died at age 53 on New Year's Day after suffering a heart attack in his Roseville home. A funeral service was held Friday morning at St. Clare Catholic Church.Wife Tami Hinds, when asked to describe her husband, remarked "awesome" without hesitation.FYIRichard T. HindsBorn: July 24, 1952Died: Jan. 1, 2006Survived by: Wife, Tami Hinds of Roseville; daughter, Kristen Hinds of Tempe, Ariz.; sons Ricky, Cory and Jake Hinds, all of Roseville; stepsister Melanie Melton of Lompoc; stepbrother Robert Kent and wife Denise of San Dimas.- The family has asked in lieu of flowers or gifts, donations be made to the Tami Hinds Family Savings Account with Wells Fargo Bank in Roseville or Granite Bay."Everything that he had to do, he basically lived for us," she said of her husband of 15 years Thursday evening. "He was a great father, a great role model, everything a dad could be and everything a husband could be. He was a wonderful man. We were an awesome family."Hinds, who retired from the Roseville Police Department in 2002 after more than five years as a patrolman, vested nearly three decades in law enforcement, working first for the Baldwin Park Police Department and later serving nearly two decades as a patrolman, canine handler and detective for the Alhambra Police Department. After Hinds' brief retirement from law enforcement - "I think he was retired for a week, poor thing," Tami noted - he took on the position of security director for the Galleria at Roseville. When not on the job, Tami said her husband enjoyed anything outdoors, from water-skiing and boating to fishing and golf. He was also extremely active in his children's sports endeavors, whether coaching or observing games."I'm going to miss everything about him - his compassion, his loyalty. We could always rely on him. He was always there for us, and now I don't know what I'm going to do without him to fall back on."David Momet, who is currently the administrative assistant for the Galleria, was originally hired as an assistant director, working under Hinds. He said the two established an immediate bond with their similar backgrounds as retired police officers."He's just an outstanding individual, as a coworker, as a friend, as a boss," Momet said Thursday. "From the first time I talked to him I felt like I'd known him forever. To me, he was like a brother."Many other colleagues and friends expressed the bond of similar relationships with Hinds."When Rick and I first met it was like a light bulb had turned on in both of our lives," Alhambra Police Sgt. Joe Flannagan told pews filled with loved ones at St. Clare Catholic Church. "I found a brother and a friend."Flannagan said he and Hinds were "joined at the hip" for 16 years, and even their police dogs were friends."Rick and I were like two peas in a pod - he was the good-looking one, I was like the other one," he said, noting that both officers looked good together, boasting the police department's longest allowable haircuts. The two also shared fun times outside of work, including many family boating trips to Lake Havasu and Lake Shasta."I'm trying to understand why God would take such a great man, husband, father and friend from us," Flannagan said after looking to Hinds' three sons and telling them their father loved them. "I love you Rick and until we see each other, God bless."Roseville Police Officer Ashley Smentek, who worked as a patrolman with Hinds, laughed about the nickname his partner had given him, "Duke.""Rick said no one would take me seriously, working with a girl's name," Smentek said. Smentek learned a lot from Hinds, he said, and wore Hinds' Alhambra Police Department badge at Friday's funeral "with the pride of being able to call him 'partner,'" he said. Kristen Hinds, Richard's daughter, thanked the church full of people for coming to show their support and love for her father."I can't say I'm surprised by how many people are here ... My dad will not be forgotten," she said. - Loryll Nicolaisen can be reached at lorylln@goldcountrymedia.com.