How one family turned tragedy into a tribute to White Rock bike patrol officers
By Jaime Dunaway, November 18, 2019, The Advocate Lakewood East/Dallas
The Banowetz family (back row center) with Dallas bike patrol officers. (Photo courtesy of White Rock Lake Conservancy.)
Dallas TX -- Leon Banowetz was jogging around White Rock Lake when he spotted Dallas police officer Olivia Brown. The woman gave him a hug and pulled out her phone to show him a photo she had of his mother-in-law, Tucker Burns. The officer printed that picture and kept it in her Bible to remind her of love, kindness and care.
Burns made a lasting impact on the police officers who patrol White Rock Lake on bicycles. The woman visited the lake every morning with her companion, Don Michel, to watch the sunrise and feed the ducks. Her family said she never met a stranger, so it was no surprise when she made friends with many of the officers.
In early February, Burns died, and her family wanted to honor her memory by donating a fleet of new bikes and riding gear to the Dallas Police Department and its White Rock Lake bike patrol unit.
The White Rock Lake Conservancy partnered with the Banowetz family to facilitate the gift.