Chief of Police Is Eulogized; 2,000 Attend : Funeral: Anaheim’s Joseph T. Molloy, 54, is remembered as a family man, tenacious athlete.

Anaheim Police Chief Joseph T. Molloy was eulogized Friday as a dedicated police officer, devoted father and tenacious athlete during funeral services attended by more than 2,000 people at the Crystal Cathedral.

Orange County Sheriff Brad Gates, Los Angeles County Sheriff Sherman Block and several hundred police officers from as far away as Sacramento crowded into the church to honor Molloy, 54, who died of a heart attack in his office Tuesday as he prepared for his customary morning jog.

The service was followed by a 15-mile procession on the Orange Freeway led by 50 motorcycle officers. His body was taken for burial at Forest Lawn, Covina, in an Anaheim police pickup truck designed by his son.

“His passing is a tremendous loss to all of us,” said Glen Pardon, a family friend who delivered one of the five eulogies at the service. “But at the same time all of us must look to the future knowing that a little of Joe is in each of us. We will never forget him.”

Molloy’s closed and flag-draped coffin was brought into the church minutes earlier by police officers from Anaheim, Alhambra, Azusa, Culver City and Monterey Park, the cities where he worked during his 32-year law-enforcement career. Molloy, who is survived by his wife, Pamela, and four adult children, had been Anaheim’s chief since 1988.

Next to the coffin was a portrait of Molloy in his chief’s uniform, which was draped with a light blue ribbon with the words, “In memory of Chief Molloy.” Nearby stood a large chief’s badge made of silver flowers. Two Anaheim police officers stood guard over the coffin, while another officer, Barbara Delgado, sang “America the Beautiful” and “The Lord’s Prayer.”

On the church’s big-screen television, a video tribute to Molloy was shown as Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” and Rod Stewart’s “Have I Told You Lately” played in the background.

There were pictures of Molloy dressed in his Little League uniform as a child, running track in high school, and competing as a weight-lifter. Other pictures showed him running marathons and competing in Iron Man triathlons. There were photos of family Christmases and weddings. In one shot, he cradled a new grandchild.

During his eulogy, Michael Molloy, the chief’s son and an Anaheim firefighter, said he often heard how much his father took after his grandfather.

“The biggest honor I could have in my life would be one day to have someone say to me: ‘You have a little bit of your dad in you,’ ” Molloy said, fighting back tears.

Culver City Police Chief Ted Cooke said Molloy had six priorities in life: family, God, working out, community service, friends and police work.

“He was one of these people who could lift more weight, hit harder, run a little bit faster, jump higher, dive deeper and come up a little bit drier than the rest of us,” Cooke said. “Everybody dies, but great achievers like Joe build monuments in the hearts of their friends. Joe built a monument in each of our hearts.”

After the service, Molloy’s coffin was carried from the church. About 250 Anaheim officers came to attention and gave a final salute to Molloy. The procession to Forest Lawn contained about 600 cars and took 17 minutes to enter the cemetery.

During a short graveside service, Anaheim Fire Chief Jeff Bowman, a close family friend, presented Pamela Molloy the flag from her husband’s coffin. Seven Anaheim police officers fired a 21-gun salute. A bagpiper played “Amazing Grace” and a bugler played taps. Three police helicopters swept overhead, one peeling off at the last moment in a “missing man” tribute.

After the ceremony, Fresno Police Officer Dan Castro said he did not know Chief Molloy, but he said he drove 200 miles anyway to pay his respects. “It’s something (police officers) are expected to do,” he said, “because this could happen to any one of us at any time.”