Nearly a year after the line-of-duty death of Orange Beach police Cpl. Mike Stockwell, his family, friends and fellow officers prepared to gather in September 2014 for the dedication of a highway memorial sign along the Foley Beach Express.
Stockwell, 45, of Elberta, died on Sept. 17, 2013, after a sedan driven by a Foley woman collided with his unmarked police sport-utility vehicle. The crash happened at the expressway’s intersection with Baldwin County 12. An investigator at the time of his death, Stockwell had served the Orange Beach Police Department and was remembered warmly by those who worked alongside him.
A sign donated by fellow officers
The 18-by-24-inch memorial sign was donated by Orange Beach police Lt. Clif Roberts and Cpl. Scott Beaman. It was to be placed off the northbound lanes of the expressway, north of County Road 12, near the spot where a cross already stood.
The Foley City Council unanimously approved placement of the sign at the request of Foley Police Chief David Wilson. Roberts thanked the council for its consideration during a work session.
“I was Mike’s supervisor at the time of his death and Scott was his partner,” Roberts said. “It’s been real tough for us over the last year. We’re looking for some closure and we think this will be a good way to get it.”
Remembering ‘Secret Squirrel’
The sign was to read: “At this site on Sept. 17, 2013, Cpl. Michael D. Stockwell gave his life in service to the community.” It would also feature a silhouette of the cartoon character Secret Squirrel alongside Stockwell’s badge number — a nod to a nickname his colleagues clearly cherished.
“That was his saying, the Secret Squirrel,” Beaman recalled with a smile.
Layers of remembrance
The highway sign was one of several tributes that had taken shape since Stockwell’s death. His name had been added to the fallen officer memorial at the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office satellite station in Robertsdale. Officers had also traveled to Washington, D.C., where his name was added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial.
“We’ve got some closure there and we took his daughters up there,” Roberts said. “The majority of guys couldn’t make it, so we’re trying to do something local.”
The local dedication was arranged to fall on the anniversary of the crash. A special service in Stockwell’s memory was planned for 5:30 p.m. Sept. 17 at the Orange Beach Firing Range, followed by the memorial sign dedication at 6:30 p.m. at the site of the accident.
For the officers who had worked most closely with Stockwell, the roadside marker offered something the earlier tributes in Robertsdale and the nation’s capital could not: a permanent reminder, close to home and visible to everyday travelers, of a colleague who died serving the coastal community he patrolled.