The Ohio Valley mourns the passing of Sheriff Fred Abdalla | News, Sports, Jobs

Jefferson County Sheriff Fred Abdalla, seen here in this 2017 photo, died early Tuesday.

STEUBENVILLE — Fred Abdalla, sheriff of Jefferson County since 1985 and an institution in law enforcement circles, died Monday at Valley Hospice Care Center North, Steubenville. He was 77.

Abdalla, a champion of children, the abused and the elderly, had been in failing health for some time. Still, his passing came as a shock to his community.

“What I admired about him was family was so important to him,” County Commissioner Tom Graham said. “I’ve never known anybody else that was so compassionate about children and what really broke his heart is when children were abused. He would go after the people that did those kinds of things.”

Graham said he’d known Abdalla and his family “all of my life.”

“He was a warrior, he was someone you wanted out front fighting the bad people because there was nobody tougher,” Graham said.

“He is someone that is impossible to replace. I’ve never known anyone like him. He was the most passionate person, and yet, at the same time, the person you wanted out there fighting the bad people.”

Graham said Abdalla’s military service, in addition to his nearly four decades as sheriff, demonstrated his commitment to serving others.

A 1962 graduate of Catholic Central High School, Abdalla attended Ohio State University and the Ohio Highway Patrol Academy. He served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam Conflict, and was awarded the Overseas Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal and the Bronze Star for his service.

“His whole life was dedicated to serving others,” Graham said. “He put service above self. He put his whole life on the line for the citizens of Jefferson County, and his country. He did that from the bottom of his heart. He was a man that you could admire and learn from. If we had more people like him, we’d be a better county, and a better country.”

Commissioner Tony Morelli said their families had known each other for 40 years.

“He was a true champion of children. He was a true champion of seniors. He was a very loyal man, a great man,” Morelli said. “He was a legend in my mind.”

He pointed out Abdalla was Ohio’s longest-serving active sheriff at the time of his death.

“It is pretty amazing, you’re not going to see something like that very often,” Morelli said. “He is from, what I call, the old school. You could see him at a Big Red away game, getting home after midnight, then out of the road the next morning bright and early or out getting coffee. It is hard to get that kind of dedication these days.

“Being sheriff was his job, and being sheriff was his life,” Morelli said.

Commissioner Dave Maple, who’s worked with Abdalla from the commissioners’ seat since 2005, called it “a sad day for all of Jefferson County.”

“We had a man that cared so much for the county, and the county cared for him back,” Maple said. “His not being with us is going to have a long-term effect. My condolences go out to his family. I know he was a strong family man and loved by them deeply.

“I always had a great relationship with him and I am glad I had the privilege to serve the citizens alongside of him.”

Diocese of Steubenville Bishop Jeffrey M. Monforton also had strong words of praise for Abdalla, calling him a devout Catholic and a long-time member of St. Joseph Parish, Toronto.

“His faith was very important to him,” Monforton said. “He went out of his way to help others in times of need. He was always concerned for the safety and protection of Jefferson County residents, especially the most vulnerable.”

Toronto Mayor John Parker worked for Abdalla in the Jefferson County sheriff’s department and with him as the county’s emergency management director. He said Abdalla regularly offered assistance to emergency personnel responding to floods and other weather events.

Parker said Abdalla was “like a father figure” to him.

“Any time there was an event, he was there. He was always bringing back something for you to eat, making phone calls, whatever he could to help,” Parker said.

He said Abdalla was known to quietly pick up the tab for a group of students at a restaurant or buy food for a child from the concession stand at a sporting event.

“He was an outstanding sheriff but an even better person,” said Parker, who added, “He was just such a pillar in the community. There will be no one like him for years to come.”

Tributes poured in from outside Jefferson County as well.

Gov. Mike Dewine recalled Abdalla was a decorated U.S. Army veteran who “wholeheartedly served his community with pride and dedication for decades.”

“(His) no-nonsense personality was one of the things Fran and I enjoyed the most about him,” he said. “During my time as Ohio’s attorney general, I was honored to work with him on numerous cases, including a double homicide from the 1970s that he vowed to solve. It was that unwavering determination that led to the suspect’s arrest in 2014 and … conviction the following year.”

He said Abdalla “truly made a tremendous impact on Jefferson County.”

DeWine ordered state and U.S. flags to be flown at half-staff in Jefferson County through sunset the day of his funeral.

U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown, D-OH, said Abdalla “will be remembered for his nearly four decades of service to the community, and the compassion and skill he brought to the job each day.”

“His dedication to Jefferson County kept the residents in his community safe and his passing is a real loss for Ohio and all who knew him.”

U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson, R-Marietta, said the sheriff’s death is “a big loss for Jefferson County.”

“There is no doubt he was committed to those he served over the last 37 years,” he said.

“His shoes will be impossible to fill. My heart goes out to his family … my thoughts and prayers will be with them.”

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said Abdalla “touched countless lives during the 37 years that he led the sheriff’s office.”

“A dedicated public servant, his name was synonymous with law enforcement, solving crime and protecting Jefferson’s County citizens,” Yost said.

Arrangements are pending, but a public visitation will be held Friday from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 1225 North River Ave., Toronto.

(Staff writers Warren Scott and Andrew Grimm contributed to this report.)