Marquette County Sheriff’s Deputy Dean Rushford called it a career recently, retiring after 41 years with the department.

Rushford started as a part-time deputy in 1982 before accepting a full-time road patrol deputy in 1984, becoming for many, the face of law enforcement in Marquette County.

“Dean was always helpful, courteous, sensitive,” said Marquette County Board Chairperson Joseph Derocha “A very positive representative of the sheriff’s department. These words and phrases have all been used to describe Deputy Rushford during his time with the county.

“The sheriff’s office received many letters praising Dean and thanking him for his time, effort and talent,” said Derocha. “In November of 2000, Dean was awarded the Life Saving Medal for his prompt skilled response to a choking incident, saving the life of a Marquette County citizen.”

Rushford has participated in many community activities from Shop with a Cop, Cub Scouts presentations, job fairs and multiple school presentations.

“He has been a real shining beacon out in western Marquette County,” Derocha said.

Rushford, in addressing the county board, said, “I’ve always tried to do the best I could. I wasn’t a great officer in my opinion but I was a good officer and it was the people that I worked with that helped me do the job that I did.”

We join a great many Marquette County residents in wishing Rushford a long and restful retirement for a job well done.