Editor's note: Eighth in a series of stories on the people, places and events that made news in northern Michigan in 2008. To read previously published newsmaker articles, see record-eagle.com/newsmakers.
HONOR -- Natalie Torres has a tough act to follow.
Torres, a Michigan State Police trooper, recently joined the Honor detachment to fill the void left when Trooper Blair DuVall died of cancer in July. She's heard much about DuVall as she's visited with residents and businesses in the area, she said.
"Everybody said you've got big shoes to fill," she said. "He obviously made a huge impact on this community ... everybody has great things to say about him."
DuVall, 44, died July 7 after a short battle with melanoma. He'd served in Honor for nearly 10 years, and his illness and death prompted a massive outpouring of support in the Benzie County community. Nearly six months after his death, it's clear DuVall won't be soon forgotten.
"Everyone totally misses him," said Andy Miller, owner of A. Papanos Pizza in Beulah. "His name comes up all the time."
Residents still speak of his friendliness, dedication and compassion, Miller said.
"This person was just a giver, the whole entire time. Shirt-off-your-back type thing," he said. "He was just a great, great person, he'd go out of his way for you, and the neat thing is everybody knew that about him."
Trooper Rick Doehring continues to hear compliments about DuVall, his friend and longtime partner.
"To a person, I've heard nothing but positive things about Blair; people missing him, telling me stories about their contact with him," Doehring said.
DuVall's widow, JoAnn DuVall, also is frequently pulled aside for stories about her husband of 14 years.
"Quite often I'll get a Blair story, where someone will share an experience they had," she said. "Sometimes we'll laugh, sometimes we'll cry, and sometimes it's both."
JoAnn DuVall still has tough times and leans heavily on loved ones and those who knew Blair.
"I'm very lucky that I have the support system like I do, the friends and family and people I didn't know would be there for me," she said.
The community support showed her a side of her husband she never knew, she said.
"Knowing him how I knew him, I knew he was a great guy. I didn't know his professional side. I almost felt clueless as to how loved and respected he was," she said. "I never realized the impact he had on people."
That impact comes from DuVall's dedication to the people he served, Doehring said.
"He was on the right track, he was doing what a lot of people who come into police work want to do," he said. "They want to do the job, they want to do what's right, but they also want to be a part of the community."
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