Funeral service honors life of fallen Wood County deputy

TYLER – A procession and funeral was held in Tyler on Wednesday morning to honor the life of Wood County Sheriff’s Office deputy Mellissa Pollard. The funeral service was attended by her family, loved ones and brothers and sisters in blue according to our news partner KETK.

It started with a solemn procession filled with heartache as law enforcement members with agencies from across East Texas accompanied deputy Pollard from Quitman to her funeral service at Green Acres Baptist Church in Tyler. It was part of the final goodbye to Pollard, who had been with the sheriff’s office for eight years and was killed in a crash while on duty last week. People who knew her called her a true friend and a selfless hero.

Her only daughter Alexis Locke gave a tearful eulogy remembering the bond they shared and the type of life Pollard lived.

“You could not find a better mom, she loved me with every bone in her body and she never let me forget that,” Locke said.

Locke spoke about what she would have told her mother if she knew it would be the last time she would see her again.

“If knew that that was the last time, I’d ever hear your voice, I would have told you how much I love you and how much you mean to me,” Locke said.

Judge Tony Gilbreth spoke about Deputy Pollard’s life and achievements as she spent more than two decades protecting and serving the Wood County community.

“She played a vital role in training and mentoring officers and served her department community with honor, skill and compassion,” Gilbreth said. “Melissa’s dedication extended beyond the law enforcement.”

Pollard dedicated her time to assisting people with cognitive disorders, giving her time to the SPCA, advocating for animals and showing her dedication to others in and out of uniform.

“I kind of got a feeling Melissa was the glue to all,” Gilbreth said. “She was a hard worker. She worked faithfully in meeting her family’s needs, but she didn’t forget also to help other people.”

After the funeral, her family and fellow officers said their final goodbyes with an honor walk, fly over and gun salute. Officials also presented her family with a flag presentation and broadcasted her name over the scanner one last time.