Judy Weiser paid a visit to workplace of her late husband, longtime sheriff’s deputy Russ Weiser, Wednesday afternoon for what she thought was an invitation for a pizza lunch and the opportunity to catch up with his co-workers who are like part of her family at the Logan County Juvenile Detention Center, 104 S. Madriver St.
However, when Mrs. Weiser walked into a former classroom at the JDC, she received a surprise that brought forth a little gasp and a few tears — the room has been converted into a training center that is named in Deputy Weiser’s honor. Logan County Jail Administrator Lt. Greg Fitzpatrick told Mrs. Weiser to turn around to see the lettering for the “Russ Weiser Training Room” above the doorway.
“I’m so honored what they have done for Russ” Mrs. Weiser said of her husband of 47 years, who passed away in 2014 at the age of 68 following a three-year battle with cancer.
“He would still be working here if he had the choice. This wasn’t just a job for him; this was his career and he loved the people he worked with.”
One wall of the room has been painted black with gold stripes and includes a Logan County Sheriff’s Office badge and a photo of Deputy Weiser escorting convicted murderer Anthony Wingo.
Logan County Sheriff Randall Dodds said the “training center” aspect of this room is a fitting tribute to Deputy Weiser.
“He left us too soon, and he was a great teacher. We’ll all be forever grateful to his wise instruction. I know he’d still be working here if he could and he would fit in well in the role as a ‘trainer.’
“He was old-school with his work ethic and his ability to ‘grind.’ He taught us all a lot.”
Lt. Fitzpatrick worked closely with Deputy Weiser on daily jail operations.
“He was one of the greatest and it was an honor to work with him. He was a guy that never went home before everything was done. He didn’t want to leave anything unfinished or for the next shift. If that meant he would have to work twice as hard to do it, he would.”
Deputy Weiser was a former chief of police for the village of West Mansfield from 1970 to 1975, he served with the Logan County Sheriff’s Office from May 1982 to August 2012, and was a longtime corrections officer at the Logan County Jail and Logan County Juvenile Detention Center.
A number of leaders at the sheriff’s office learned many aspects about the job under Deputy Weiser’s guidance when they were first hired.
“I think each of us can attribute our success to Russ,” former Logan County Sheriff Andrew Smith said in an Examiner article in 2014 upon the deputy’s passing. “He certainly helped us down the right path when we started working with him in the jail. He was a great role model.”
In May 2011, Deputy Weiser went on a temporary sick leave from the Logan County Sheriff’s Office and then was back working in the jail again in early 2012. When interviewed in an Examiner article at that time, he said the months of chemotherapy and bladder removal were “no big deal.”
“It’s just a bump in life. I’ve had a smile on my face the whole time,” Mr. Weiser said. “It’s really no big deal. Thousands of people go through these kinds of trials and tribulations in their lives.”
Lt. Fitzpatrick said the new training room will be a huge asset to the JDC with its location adjacent to the gymnasium. It will be used for a variety of purposes, including for the 31/2-week Ohio Full Service Corrections Basic Training Academy taught by Training Officer Joe Torsell. The state required training for corrections officers has been offered by the JDC in recent years, with corrections officers attending from around the state.
“We already used this classroom this morning for a CPR class taught by Joe Torsell to Logan County Family Court staff,” he said. “Our next round of corrections academy is next week, so we will be putting the training center to good use.”