Widow of Fallen Officer 'Flabbergasted' When She Finds Out Mortgage Has Been Paid Off
The family of fallen police officer Billy Clardy III will have their home mortgage paid in full thanks to the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation.
The foundation announced Wednesday it was paying off the mortgage of two recently fallen officers: Huntsville Police Department Officer Billy Clardy III and Hendersonville Police Department Master Patrol Officer Spencer Bristol, Globe Newswire reported.
Clardy, from Huntsville, Alabama, was shot and killed on Dec. 6 during a drug investigation, WHNT reported.
Clardy, who was part of a drug task unit, is survived by his wife, Ashlee Clardy, and five children, as well as grandchildren.
In a statement to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, Ashlee Clardy spoke of her appreciation for the life-changing gesture.
“I’m flabbergasted by your compassion and I am incredibly humbled by your generosity,” she said.
“This means the world to me.”
According to the foundation’s news site, the Fallen First Responder Home Program designates money to support the families of first responders killed in the line of duty, specifically by paying for their home mortgages.
“Through our Fallen First Responder Home Program, we support our law enforcement and firefighters that lost their lives under extraordinary circumstances in the line of duty,” the foundation stated.
“In these times of tragedy, it is our mission to provide a support system for the surviving family and ensure that they are cared for.”
The Tunnel to Towers Foundation also has a Smart Home program, supporting disabled military veterans, and Gold Star Family Home Program, providing mortgage-free homes for surviving spouses with young children.
The foundation was started in memory of New York City Fire Department Firefighter Stephen Siller, who died on Sept. 11, 2001, while saving the lives of others.
To date, over $125 million has been raised for first responders, military veterans and their families.
Since 2015, over 40 families have received a mortgage-free home thanks to the foundation, which aims to continually pay off mortgages for fallen police officers who leave young children behind.
While nothing can take away the pain of losing a loved one, the Clardy family will hopefully find a slice of comfort knowing the burden of housing costs has been lifted.
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