Going gentle into that good night

William Cleveland remembered as a professional of quiet, confident integrity.

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The Family Man

Friends and family said goodbye to Polson police officer William Cleveland on Saturday morning. 

The Polson fire department hoisted a giant American flag over the parking lot at Linderman elementary gym, where it remained until the memorial service was over.

Before the service began over two dozen law enforcement officers lined up, dressed up in their uniforms, from the Polson Police Department, Lake County Sheriff’s Office, and the Montana Highway Patrol. Emergency responders, firefighters, and other police officers from surrounding cities stood quietly as they waited for the Cleveland family to arrive.

The officers stood at attention and saluted as members of the Cleveland family arrived. Terri, his wife, and their four children: Michael, David, Monica, and Nick.

Cpl. Cleveland died Sunday evening, Nov. 21, after being diagnosed with cancer last year. Later that night, three Polson police cruisers escorted his body to the Lake Funeral Home.

Rev. John Payne led the service which included music, friends and co-workers sharing stories about Cleveland. Everyone who spoke mentioned in some form his strong character, his moral compass, and his sly sense of humor. Above all, his unwavering dedication to his family and community was remembered on Saturday.

Polson Police Chief Wade Nash spoke about Cleveland’s character. He pointed to a group of young men wearing Polson High School football jerseys and said, “Boys, if you wanted to know what a role model is, he was it.”

The Professional

Lake County District Judge Kim Christopher remembered him as a consummate professional in the years she knew him. However, there was a time that Officer Cleveland helped Christopher and her two sons in a personal situation. Christopher remembered Cleveland’s professionalism from many years ago and recounted the story during the service. She also thanked Terri and their children for their sacrifices.

“We thank you for letting us work with William. We are better for it,” Christopher said at the service.

In an interview with the Lake County Leader on Monday, Christopher spoke more about the time Cleveland helped her.

About five years ago, Cleveland and Officer Jimmy Atkins responded to Christopher’s residence on a domestic call; Christopher found herself in an unfamiliar situation. She was in need of help to deal with a complicated situation concerning the custody of her two children. She was unsure of what to do. That’s when Cleveland displayed his often talked about professionalism.

“He was the second officer in the door,” she said. “His face was very stern, very quiet.”

Christopher said since many years have passed, she has the benefit of seeing the situation more clearly. The problem has been resolved, but she recounted at the time she was very scared and concerned with the safety of her children. Officer Cleveland spoke with her two children, assessed the situation with the hopes of resolving it peacefully.

“He sat down with me and went over all the legal paperwork,” she said. “He was very impartial...he had an incredible presence.”

Once the situation was under control, Christopher said she took some time before thanking him. Due to her position at the time, maintaining a professional distance was imperative, from a legal and ethical standpoint. “It was way beyond what I had conceptualized concerning being a prosecutor and being a mom.” Christopher sent a letter to Chief Nash thanking the Polson Police Department and particularly officers Cleveland and Atkins. Periodically, in the years that followed, Christopher said Cleveland would make sure that everything was all right and that there were no problems. Looking back, Christopher said she has a better understanding of what Officer Cleveland and other police officers deal with on a day-to-day basis.

“[William] took the heat out of the situation,” she said. “I thought, that’s professionalism. This is one hell of a job.”

The Strong, Silent Type

Chief Nash will always remember Cleveland for his calmness, problem-solving, and unselfish attitude. Those are the hallmarks of Cleveland’s time as a police officer combined with his wish to help.

As a member of not only his own family, Cleveland was also a member of the Polson Police Department family. Nash said that Polson is fortunate and unique in a way because the officers generally want to help. It’s an attitude they cultivate with each new member. There is a sense that some police officers need to be overbearing, strict enforcers. Nash said Polson police officers deal with situations with a problem-solving attitude. Cleveland was no exception.

“He was thorough, knowledgable,” Nash said in an interview on Monday. “Calm would be a good word to describe him, but confident would be a better word.”

Nash said police officers often develop reputations that define their character. But these reputations are defined “through actions, not words.”

Cleveland developed a reputation for having a great amount of wisdom in everyday situations.

“He had an amazing amount of common sense,” Nash said.

Cleveland came to be a police officer relatively late, and Nash posits that this made all the difference. Before he became a police officer, he was a member of the Polson community and worked at the Harbor Light Furniture Store for many years. He was also a reserve officer before he was a police officer, a fact Nash attributes to Cleveland’s dedication to the job. Cleveland’s time as a reserve officer possibly gave him a better understanding of the job, and whether he wanted to pursue it full-time.

“It gave him an understanding where he could have asked himself, ‘Do I want to do this?’” Nash said. “He was extremely competent from the beginning.”

The Common Regret

The memorial service helped reconcile the feelings of loss with the feelings of gratefulness. In the presence of his family, people stood and publicly thanked Cleveland and showed appreciation.

Polson Fire Chief Clint Cottle said it was an honor to work with him, as did others who remembered him. It was Chief Nash, however, that recounted his final impressions of Cleveland’s attitude.

Nash said visiting with Cleveland in the final weeks and days of his life, he was affected by a single thought Cleveland shared with him.

“He told me we spend so much time worrying about things we cannot control,” Nash said at the service.

The Things That Matter

Chief Nash met with Cleveland toward the end.

“His fight was tough,” he said.

Nash was particularly struck by something he said.

“He told me, ‘You know what I’ve learned through this whole situation? Looking back, I’ve wasted a lot of my life worrying about things that don’t matter.’”

Nash said this realization has helped him understand someone who was unselfish, and put his wife and children above everything else.

Even when thousands of people showed up to support him at the benefit months ago, Nash said, he was happy to know his family would be taken care of.

But at the end, Cleveland had the burden and responsibility of knowing he would die, and used it to pass on wisdom that could help others.

Nash remembers some of the last words Cleveland spoke to him:

“Don’t worry about the little things. Gather your special times.”