Tuesday, January 26, 2016
Staff report
WARREN
Rich McGrath, 57, of Liberty, a deputy with the Trumbull County Sheriff’s office who worked the security desk at the county administration building on Courthouse Square for about the past seven years, died unexpectedly early Saturday.
A specific cause of death was not available Monday.
McGrath, who also was president of the Trumbull County Deputies Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 137, was well-known because of his daily presence in the lobby outside the county’s auto-title office on the first floor, his height (about 6 feet 9 inches tall) and his desire to help people.
“We can’t believe he is gone. He was like a part of us, and we loved him,” said Ginny Merlo, an employee of the auto-title department.
“He would go out of his way for anybody,” said Shara Taylor, another auto-title employee.
He was stationed at the base of the five-story building to provide security for the title office, recorder’s office, auditor’s office, county commissioners, prosecutor’s office and others.
But he regularly provided guidance to members of the public who were unsure where to go and helped lead the county’s Relay For Life team and numerous other fundraising efforts.
Like many people, Barb Vingle, title-office supervisor, saw him Friday and didn’t suspect anything was wrong. “He was closing up the building” at the end of the day when she last saw him, Vingle said.
“I talked to him on Friday, and he seemed fine,” Sheriff Tom Altiere said. “It was very sudden. He died in his sleep. I knew he had had some health problems but nothing real serious.”
“He was like the gentle giant. Everybody loved him,” Altiere said.
On Friday, a memorial began to form at his desk with a FOP banner draped over his chair and flowers on the desk. He first went to work for the sheriff’s office in November 1990 and became a deputy in 1994.