Slain Deputy Remembered

By Debbie Williams Reporter

It's been a difficult week for family and friends of deputy Tony Forgione and it's about to get a lot tougher. Slain Deputy Remembered

Published: Fri, July 25, 2008 - 2:26 pm Last Updated: Fri, July 25, 2008 - 3:51 pm

Debbie Williams

It's been a difficult week for family and friends of deputy Tony Forgione and it's about to get a lot tougher. Forgione, will be laid to rest, tomorrow.
He was killed in the line of duty earlier this week during a standoff in Okaloosa County.
Thousands are expected to attend the memorial service in Niceville. But for others, this will be a funeral for a friend.
"It's like a bad dream you can't wake up from. Someone like that, a person like that you can't believe, you don't want to believe it. Then when I got to hospital and seen him laying there in the bed real life struck, real life." Deputy Kenny Leavin was not only a colleague of Tony Forgione, he was a childhood friend.
"He was a true friend any time, any day. Always smiling, he was a character, a good hearted, wholesome man."
Now, Leavin is helping plan his friends funeral and keeping watch over his family. "For the most part his wife, I think, is the strongest woman alive. She has her moments but the way I see her and how she's dealing with it, she's doing the best she can and the kids are doing good."
Flags at half staff dot Okaloosa County. They are a reminder of what happened but also a sign of comfort. Letting officers know the community is grieving too.
"It's hit us hard like losing a member of your family." His patrol car marked with his friends badge number and the day he died, Deputy Jeff Morgan says as much as he loved his job, Tony knew what was important. "He loved his family. He was a God Fearing man, professional. He's going to be missed."
If you want to know who Tony Forgione was, Leavins says it's captured in the photograph released by the Sheriff's Office. "A super, super guy and you can say it all day long and it doesn't scratch the surface of the guy he is," says Leavins.
Funeral services will be Saturday at two o'clock in Niceville at the Assembly of God church. Burial will follow at Heritage Gardens Cemetery.