Silent Key: Mary Katherine Messamore

APCO Life Member Mary Katherine Messamore of Marion, Kansas, passed away May 10 at the age of 75. She worked for improvements to the state and national association as well as the public safety communications industry until her retirement in 2011.

Silent Key: Joseph Robert Gately

Born in 1950, he graduated from Peninsula Catholic High School in Newport News and then spent more than 54 years in the communications and technology industry, starting with Gately Communications as president then later as chairman of the board.

Silent Key: Frank L. Huggins Jr.

Frank L. Huggins Jr., the 1993-1994 president of APCO, passed away March 4 in Asheville, North Carolina, at 87.

Huggins, of Swannanoa, was active in the public safety communications industry and APCO throughout his 39-year career in the North Carolina State Highway Patrol. Throughout his career, Huggins aided technological, legislative and educational improvements to the operations of public safety communications.

Silent Key: Crystal Gail Vincent

APCO member and Polk County (Georgia) E-911 Director Crystal Gail Vincent, 46, of Cedartown, passed away January 28 after an extended illness.

Silent Key: Jennifer Garner

Southwest (Texas) Regional Communications Center Deputy Director Jennifer Garner, 46, of Waxahachie died Tuesday. Garner had served as Texas APCO secretary. She suffered from cancer.

Silent Key: Donald Ray Whitney

APCO Life Member Don Whitney passed away December 28. Whitney enjoyed a long tenure in public safety communications for Motorola and was a longstanding member of the Commercial Advisory Council (CAC), including service on the APCO Board of Directors.

Silent Key: Sammye Foster Cotton

Sammye Foster Cotton of Wills Point, Texas, passed way Nov. 16 at the age of 43 after a battle with ALS. Cotton was Garland (Texas) Police Department Communications Manager and an APCO member who previously worked for McKinney (Texas) Police Department and the Commerce (Texas) Police Department.

Silent Key: James Robert “Jimmy” Scanlon

Hopkins (Minnesota) Fire Department Assistant Chief and APCO member James “Jimmy” Scanlon died November 4 after going into cardiac arrest the day before. He was 38.

Silent Key: Bob Marz

Bob Marz, an APCO life member, passed away October 5 at home in South Ogden, Utah, with his family. He was 87.

Silent Key: John J. Daly

John J. Daly, 66, whose life was dedicated to public safety in Collier County, Florida, passed away August 22 at a Cape Cod, Massachusetts, hospital after a long battle with pancreatic cancer.