Fallen Yarmouth Officer Honored By Big Brothers Big Sisters

YARMOUTH (CBS) - Among the many people mourning the death of Yarmouth Police Sgt. Sean Gannon is a boy who knew him as a "Big Brother."

The organization that brought them together gave Gannon its highest honor.

"I think inside the adult Sean, the law officer, in his off hours, was still Sean the little boy who really loved to have fun," Denise Gannon, Sean's mother said.

Denise Gannon really just lights up, talking about her Sean. And how could she not? It seems the fallen hero just made everything, and everyone, better.

"Sean encapsulated everything good in a human being," said Yarmouth Police Chief Frank Frederickson. "What you have heard over these past few weeks about Sean, is understating who he really is. He's even better than that."

And one person who knew Sean's goodness in a special way, was his "Little Brother," Rylee. Thursday night Big Brothers Big Sisters celebrated Sgt. Gannon, who, even working a stressful, unpredictable job, was committed to volunteerism, and this friendship.

"He would be very embarrassed to be receiving an award like this," said Patrick Gannon, Sean's father. "He liked to be in the background and not in the limelight. But what he would really like about this award is that it represents people helping people. That's a big piece of what Sean was about, really for his whole life."

After the devastating loss, the Gannons' hearts are touched, by thousands of letters and emails lives made better because of Sean.

"Our hearts are breaking but we get through it, sometimes a minute at a time," Denise Gannon said.
Sean and 12-year-old Rylee have been "brothers" for the past three years. Rylee says because of Sean's impact on his life, he plans to grow up and become a police officer.