SAN ANTONIO — A beloved Edgewood ISD police officer who served her community for more than three decades has passed away after battling cancer for nearly one year.
Officer Rogena Reed graduated from Edgewood High School in 1979 and remained in the community as an integral part of the district as a Community Resource Unit officer ever since. The unit helps students and their families receive basic essentials.
Reed was diagnosed with cancer in 2018. Her health condition started with pneumonia, with a further evaluation pointing to lung cancer. She passed away Tuesday morning.
Tuesday morning, fellow Edgewood ISD officers and friends got the call that Officer Reed passed away.
"Walking into the office and seeing her empty chair... I think that was the hardest thing,” Pamela Allen said. “And there is a blanket that she used because she was always cold, and it was just there. That was hard.”
Allen said Officer Reed was even making a donation box for a family in need the night before her passing. As the community grieves, they are also working to find a way to honor Officer Reed and keep her legacy alive.
"I'm going to miss her. I'm going to miss my friend and I'm going to miss this warrior,” Allen said.
Allen encourages people to donate school supplies to the many Edgewood ISD students in need. She also said family is planning to make arrangements at Meadowlawn Memorial Park Funeral home for Officer Reed.
The district issued a statement following Reed's passing:
"The Edgewood ISD community is mourning the loss of Officer Rogena Reed. She has been an esteemed and treasured member of the Edgewood family for 30 years. Her commitment to the students of EISD and love for her community was felt by so many. Her continuous desire to serve and support Edgewood ISD was priority for her. Officer Reed will be missed."
Edgewood ISD police chief Jesse Quiroga spoke to KENS 5 in 2018 and said that Reed was "one of the reasons why we have a community resource unit to go out there and help."
"She encounters students with so many needs outside the home. Our model is that we want to help them be successful at the home so they can be successful at school," Quiroga explained. "If a student needs shoes, she's going to figure out how to get them shoes. If a student needs electricity turned on in their home, she's going to figure out how to get electricity turned on in their home."
Reed was known as "Robocop" to students due to her reputation of catching students who tried to skip school.
Quiroga said Reed has inspired generations of students, including himself, adding she played a big role in his decision to go into law enforcement.
"In high school, I got to know her kindness and her dedication to the community and students. And I got to know it through her way of work," he said. "I'm proud to say I'm a product of her influence and what she does for our community."
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