Hatfield Police Officer Passes Away Suddenly While Off-Duty

HATFIELD, PA -- A Hatfield Township police officer passed away unexpectedly while off-duty last Friday, police said Monday evening. Detective Thomas E. Starner was just 48 years old.

An exact cause of death was not stated. Starner, a Schwenksville native and Pennridge High School graduate, served Hatfield for 27 distinguished years. He was also active in the community, working as a youth basketball coach and on the board of an officer's scholarship fund.

"Chief William J. Tierney and the entire staff of the Hatfield Township Police Department regret to announce the sudden death of Detective Thomas E. Starner," police said in a statement released Monday.

Det. Starner's full obituary, courtesy of Boyd-Horrox-Givnish Funeral Home, is provided below:

Thomas Edward Starner Jr., 48, of Schwenksville passed away suddenly on Friday, May 5, 2017. Born March 14, 1969, to Sandy and Thomas Starner Sr. Beloved husband to Nicole, dear father to Matthew and Kara, devoted brother to Shawn and Steve Starner, and cherished friend to many.

Tom was a 1987 Graduate of Pennridge High School and went on to dedicate 27 years to the Hatfield Township Police Department. In 1990, Tom began his career as a Police Dispatcher with the Hatfield Township Police Department until he was hired in 1993 as a full-time Police Officer. Tom served many years assigned to the Patrol Division and was appointed as a Patrol Supervisor in 2000. In 2012 he obtained the rank of Detective and was assigned to the Investigative Division.
Tom served in many specialty units during his Police career including the Highway Safety Unit where he was trained in accident reconstruction and excelled in all areas of traffic enforcement, the North Penn Area DUI Task Force where he previously served as its coordinator overseeing the task force comprised of nine municipal police departments from the North Penn Area, he was a specially trained motor carrier enforcement officer and served on the Montgomery and Bucks County Motor Carrier Enforcement Task Force, he served many years on the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office Municipal Drug Task Force and the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

Tom was a longtime member of the Montgomery County Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 14, the Hatfield Township Police Benevolent Association, and he was a board member for the Officer William J. Chapman Memorial Scholarship Fund.

He was also a Perkiomen Valley Youth Basketball Coach where he coached Kara. Above all, he loved spending time with his children. He will be deeply missed.
Relatives and friends are invited to Tom's Life Celebration on Tuesday, May 9 from 6 to 9 PM at Boyd-Horrox- Givnish Life Celebration Home of East Norriton, 200 West Germantown Pike, Wednesday, May 10 from 9-10:45 AM at Visitation BVM Church of Norristown, 196 Trooper Rd. with a Funeral Mass to follow.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Tom's memory can be made to Montgomery County Emergency Services, Inc., 50 Beech Drive, Norristown, PA 19401.
To share a thought or memory of Tom, please visit www.lifecelebration.com. Family Services entrusted to Boyd-Horrox- Givnish of East Norriton, 610-277- 7000.

Image and obituary via Boyd-Horrox-Givnish Funeral Home