SAYREVILLE – An officer who served in the Sayreville Police Department for many years is being remembered for his service to the community and to the students of the Sayreville School District.
Members of the Board of Education began their Feb. 4 meeting by honoring the memory of Charles “Chip” Blazas, 64, who died on Dec. 20, 2018. A moment of silence was held in his memory.
According to his obituary, Blazas was a resident of Sayreville for more than 40 years and a patrolman in the police department for 20 years. Born in Newark, he resided in Kearny and the Fords section of Woodbridge before moving to Sayreville.
Prior to joining the Sayreville Police Department, Blazas was a patrolman in the Milltown Police Department for six years.
During his time in the Sayreville Police Department, Blazas participated in Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE), and served as the DARE officer for the Sayreville School District, according to board President Kevin Ciak.
Blazas’ obituary states that he served as a DARE officer for 13 years and was known as “Officer Chip” by students.
“[Blazas] took great pride in teaching children about drug awareness and he made a lasting impression on hundreds of students in Sayreville in his 13 years working the DARE program,” his obituary states. “Chip was loved by everyone who knew him and will be so deeply missed.”
Blazas, according to his obituary, was a veteran of the Vietnam War and served in the U.S. Navy. He was a member and past president of Sayreville PBA Local 98, a member of the South Amboy Elks Club, and a member and sergeant-at-arms of The Breakfast Club for 10 years.
Blazas was a coach and past president of the Sayreville Leprechauns Pop Warner football team, was the police department’s liaison for the Sayreville Domestic Violence Response Team, and worked with the Stay Alive From Education program, and the Youth Guidance Council, according to his obituary.
“To the Sayreville public schools and to our students, he was more than just a police officer,” Ciak said during the meeting. “He was the face of the Sayreville Police Department to so many of our young children, inspiring them not only to lead a drug-free life, but also inspiring them to trust members of law enforcement, to build a relationship with them, and to teach them the importance of not only taking care of their minds and their bodies, but also respecting the law. He will be missed deeply by the Sayreville public schools.”
