Harold Wayne Bone, age 66, Chicago, Illinois, a highly decorated, retired Chicago police officer, passed away on March 17, 2021 at home with his loving wife, Audrey, by his side. Harold is survived by Audrey, his son, Brian, his daughter in law, Victoria, two grandchildren, Jacob and Blake, his brother, Robert, of Effingham, IL, his half-sister, Andrea Chen, of Ann Arbor, MI, and so many extended family and friends who will remember Harold as the man who shielded and protected them, stood up for them, helped them, embraced them as family, and never stopped loving and believing in them. Harold’s life was defined by his desire to make his hometown of Chicago a safer and better place. He became a police officer in March of 1982 and retired 31 years later. Over the span of his career, Harold received 214 awards including 7 Department Commendations, 2 Life Saving Awards, 2 Superintendent Awards of Valor, and 2 Unit Meritorious Performance Awards.
According to his former police partners, Harold was a very quick thinker who had a keen instinct for trouble and was never one to wait for the call. He always knew when a situation was developing and he was right there to de-escalate it or handle any trouble that arose. Harold’s reputation often preceded him when he worked in different districts. The bad guys may not have known Harold on his first few days, but within a couple of weeks, they knew who Harold was and they also knew that he was not someone they should disrespect. Harold never had to put his hands on anyone because he did not believe that was the way a policeman should conduct himself. One of the arrests for which Harold received a commendation was the arrest of Roman Chavez who was found guilty in 1991 of the 1st degree murder of two Chicago policemen. Harold was partnered with Frank Ortiz at the time when they discovered Chavez hiding under a porch. Harold had the presence of mind to cover the suspect with his jacket, and he and Frank protected Mr. Chavez from any harm as they brought him in because Harold knew they had made a good arrest and they didn’t want anything to potentially mar the case being built against Mr. Chavez. Harold’s integrity on the job was unquestioned and his actions influenced other policemen on his team to do their job well without allowing any room for questions.
When Harold worked in Special Operations, Harold’s nick name was Cowboy, but it should have been Titan given the amount of respect he generated among fellow police officers and on the street. Even though he was not the sergeant, it was Harold they followed when it was time to find the drug dealers, the guns and the stolen cars. Harold was rarely put in a marked car, even though the bad guys knew what an unmarked police car looked like. Having an unmarked car gave Harold a slight edge and between his ability to spot suspicious activity and his quick wit, the bad guys grudgingly admitted defeat when Harold caught them. Harold was more than just a great policeman. He was also a great friend and his humor was legend. When Harold was in the gym, other policemen rarely wanted Harold to spot for them when they were working out. They knew Harold would make them laugh just as they were trying to “lift heavy”. Harold was always up for a sandwich and a story, and never failed to ask about the family and help with any problems. The long hours in a car patrolling the street went quickly because Harold loved music and could beat just about anyone in a trivia contest to name all the one hit wonders and the oldies. Harold also loved “Da Bears” and on weekends could be found watching football with his partners, drinking Diet Coke and arguing the finer points of the game, just because he could.
Harold met Audrey on the job. Audrey was assigned to the equine unit and introduced Harold to the joys of owning animals, many, many, animals. Brian, their son, was Harold’s pride and joy. They did everything together, and Harold introduced Brian to the joys of driving an ATV when Brian was still in middle school. One of the proudest moments of Harold’s life was when Brian became a Chicago police officer. Two other of his proudest moments are named Jacob and Blake, Harold’s grandchildren, who brought him more joy than he thought possible.
When Harold retired, he left behind a legacy at the Chicago Police Department where his name is spoken with awe over his many career accomplishments. Harold leaves behind another legacy with his passing. He was a man who lived life to the fullest, fought for what he believed in and did not go gently into that good night. He would want us to celebrate a life well lived. Harold would be the first to tell you he wasn’t perfect. But for us, Harold Wayne Bone was exactly that.
Because of the pandemic, the family is going to hold a memorial celebration when crowd size restrictions are lifted. In lieu of flowers, Harold and Audrey request donations to either the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation or The Shriner’s Children’s Hospital.