Hundreds gather to say 'so long' to Selleh
By Darleen Principe darleen@theacorn.com

FITTING TRIBUTE- Bullet casings release towards the blue sky as an honor guard performs a traditional 21-gun salute during the memorial service for 29-year LAPD veteran Detective George Michael Selleh at the Church at Rocky Peak on Monday. (inset) Barbara Selleh strains to hold back tears as she accepts a folded American flag from Los Angeles Police Chief William J. Bratton at the memorial service for her husband of 23 years. Selleh was killed last week in a traffic accident on the 101 Freeway.

Friends and family of George Michael Selleh agreed that those who knew him loved him. And those who loved him struggled to find the perfect words to do justice to his memory.

As hundreds of people filled the Church at Rocky Peak in Chatsworth Monday morning to mourn the loss of one of LAPD's fallen heroes, the speakers urged all to celebrate his life. That's how he would have wanted it.

"It was quite obvious that he loved life and he lived it to the fullest," said William J. Bratton, LAPD police chief.

IRIS SMOOT/Acorn Newspapers SAD GOODBYE- Jessica Selleh can barely contain her sorrow as she speaks of her father, Detective Mike Selleh, and the joy he brought to her family at his memorial service at the Church at Rocky Peak on Monday. "I miss you, Daddy, and I love you," she sobbed, covering her face.

"Mike" Selleh, as he was known by many, was a 29-year veteran of the LAPD and a 13-year resident of Simi Valley. He was the detective in charge of the narcotics detail in the Mission area and was honored several times for his several times for his hard work and dedication.

In the early morning hours of July 29, Selleh, on his way to a second job to provide security for a movie set, collided with a stationary vehicle on the 101 Freeway near Hollywood and was thrown from his motorcycle. He was 52 years old.

Selleh is survived by his wife of 23 years, Barbara; a son, Scott, 20; a daughter, Jessica, 18; and two sisters, Kathy and Janice.

Every person who spoke at the two-hour memorial had a tale to tell about a life led with care and purpose.

Selleh was dedicated to his job, committed to his family and was a natural example of human compassion.

Detective Kirby Carranza said that Selleh reflected the face of God in all his actions. He lived his life with "joy, kindness and faithfulness," he said.

Carranza talked about a time when he'd fallen ill during an investigation. No matter how much he tried to avoid going to the hospital, Selleh kept pushing him to go, even if it meant Selleh would have to drag the ill detective out of the office.

Eventually, Selleh just walked up to Carranza, bent down in front of him and motioned for him to climb on his back so he wouldn't have to walk to the car.

Even though Carranza didn't give Selleh the satisfaction of embarrassing him, it was enough to convince Carranza to get medical attention.

"In tough times, Mike always found a way to laugh," he said.

Throughout the memorial, Selleh's closest colleagues took the microphone to share their stories and pay their respects to the family.

Nearly all 1,500 seats in the church were occupied- by extended family members, uniformed officers, local government officials and hundreds of friends.

When the church lights began to dim, those attending shifted in their seats to get a better glimpse of the screens at the front of the church.

The photographs reflected the highlights of Selleh's life and the experiences of a close and happy family. Sometimes he made silly faces in front of the camera.

Other pictures captured endearing embraces with his wife. Then there were the candid shots of Selleh asleep on the couch cradling a young Scott or Jessica.

"He made our house a home," Jessica said.

The moments she shared with her father seemed to be frozen in time as they came up on the screens one by one. The two were very close.

"My dad was the epitome of selflessness," she said.

Jessica remembered going on car rides with her father, where they would just talk about anything and everything. Despite the long hours he frequently worked, he never missed a single one of her basketball games, she said. Selleh was a great dad and a great friend to Jessica and her brother.

He always made time to work with Scott on restoring his classic car.

He never missed an opportunity to call home to tell his family he loved them and missed them.

Not many other people can say their fathers knew how to keep a perfect balance between work and home life, Jessica said.

"But our dad did."

Her eulogy struck the hearts of everyone in the church as she tried to describe her father to the best of her ability. She talked about being the target of his mischievousness, getting hit on the side of the head with a dinner roll during Thanksgiving dinner and receiving a black leather diaper as a present for her dog.

Laughter could be heard throughout the church as Jessica recounted how her dad's obsession with Disney's "Pirates of the Caribbean" once reduced his vocabulary to a simple "Ar!"

"He was a good man and, more importantly, a good family man," said Detective Steve Miller.

At the end of the service, everyone gathered in the courtyard to watch as the final honors were bestowed upon Selleh.

Uniformed officers folded the American flag into a triangle and presented it to his family. Guardsmen looked out over the peak and fired shots into the air.