Robeson County Sheriff’s Office mourns loss of two officers; Rowdy, Whitmire

Sheriff’s Office

mourns loss

of two officers

LUMBERTON — The Robeson County Sheriff’s Office is mourning the recent deaths of two of its own this week.

Lt. Thomas Lee Rowdy and School Resource Officer Brenda Leigh Whitmire both passed away last week.

“It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of retired Robeson County Sheriff’s Office Lieutenant Thomas Lee Rowdy,” Sheriff Bernis Wilkins said in a prepared statement. He offered similar sympathies for Whitmire, who died on Sunday following a “courageous battle with an illness over the past several weeks.”

Lt. Rowdy began his service to Robeson County in 1992 and honorably retired in 2012, after 20 years of leadership as a supervisor at the Robeson County Detention Center. “His commitment and service to our community will always be remembered and appreciated,” Wilkins said. “Lt. Rowdy was known for his compassion for serving the inmate population and was a father figure to many in the detention center. While I didn’t have the opportunity to personally work alongside Lt. Rowdy, his legacy of leadership, care and professionalism lives on through those who served with him and those he mentored.”

Funeral arrangements are being handled by Colvin Funeral Home and Cremations of Lumberton. Further details will be shared as they become available.

Whitmire began her law enforcement career after graduating from Basic Law Enforcement Training at Fayetteville Technical Community College in 2004. She started with the Parkton Police Department, where she later served as Interim Police Chief and worked as a School Resource Officer at Parkton Elementary School, according to information from the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office.

In 2008, she joined the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office, continuing her dedicated service as a School Resource Officer at both Parkton Elementary and Rennert Elementary Schools.

“Brenda had a true passion for being a mentor to kids,” Wilkins said. “My heart goes out to her family and friends as we have lost not only a great Deputy, but a great woman. Her legacy of compassion, dedication, and mentorship will be remembered by the many lives she touched throughout her career and community.”

Wilkins asked the public to keep the families, friends and former colleagues “in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.”

Funeral arrangements for Whitmire have not yet been made available.