The Clare Hosts Horse of Honor

The Clare is proud to be an installation site for the Horses of Honor initiative, which pays tribute to more than 500 Chicago police officers who have fallen in the line of duty since 1853. 



The Clare is a luxury retirement community located in a 53-story high rise in the heart of Chicago’s Gold Coast.

The Chicago Sun-Times sponsored The Clare’s horse, which honors the memory of Police Officer Thor Soderberg, an army veteran. In 2010, Officer Soderberg was killed during a police called Operation Protect Youth. He was 43 years old at the time.

Designed to resemble Chicago’s Mounted Patrol Unit horses, each Horses of Honor statue, decorated by sponsors and artists, serves as a public art display and will eventually be auctioned, with proceeds benefiting the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation which supports the families of police officers who have been killed or severely injured on the job.

The horse honoring Office Soderberg is evocatively designed with what artist Erika Vazzana described as “abstracted fingerprints.” She wrote that she incorporated “the prints of those who knew and loved Thor Soderberg, the fallen officer to whom the horse is dedicated...that is how I came up with the idea of truly honoring and reflecting this man’s life and legacy. Along my journey I had the opportunity of meeting his widow as well as his dear friends and heartbroken police partner. I heard fond stories and really impressive stories. I’ve had a dozen of his friends and family mail me and get their fingerprints to me. I then I worked them into the design. Some had met me in my garage and were printed at that time. They expressed to me their gratitude and were emotionally grateful to this tribute that I have done. I cannot express more how connected I have become with this whole project.”

“We are very proud to support the Horses of Honor program which pays homage to the sacrifices that all members of the police force make in order to keep our lives and property safe. We are especially humbled to host the statue dedicated to Officer Soderberg,” said Kyle Exline, executive director of The Clare.

A formal dedication will be held at 1:30 pm on Saturday, October 25. The Clare honors the service and sacrifice of Officer Soderberg and all members of the force.

The Clare at Rush and Pearson is a Life Care retirement community in the heart of Chicago’s Gold Coast with incomparable lifestyle, amenities and the financial stability only a debt-free community can offer. The Terraces at The Clare, which partners with Northwestern Memorial Hospital, provides assisted living, memory support, rehabilitation and skilled nursing. The Terraces has earned the 5-star quality rating by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The Clare is owned by Chicago Senior Care and managed by Life Care Services. For more information visit: www.TheClare.com or call 312-784-8100.

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