Mr. Joseph Rivera, an Army veteran and a former officer with the Jenkintown Police Department and the Horsham Township Police Department, passed away on Thursday, July 24. He was 46.

Prior to his days in law enforcement, he served in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom as part of the Global War on Terrorism, his obituary said.

Officer Rivera served the Jenkintown community from 2008 to 2011. His tenure with the Horsham Township Police Department began in 2011 and ended in 2020 due to a serious health condition affecting his lungs which he contracted during his service overseas, according a post by the Horsham Township Police Department.

From the Horsham Township Police Department’s Facebook post:

Prior to his police service, Joe, a U.S. Army Veteran, served overseas during Operation Iraqi Freedom. It was during his service overseas that – unbeknownst to him at the time – Joe was exposed to conditions that would ultimately lead to his early retirement from Horsham P.D., and his eventual passing.

In October 2018, because of a serious health condition affecting his lungs, Joe received a single lung transplant. After a lengthy recovery, Joe, determined to continue serving the citizens of Horsham, returned to full duty and hit the streets once again. Unfortunately, the underlying condition remained in his other lung, eventually making it impossible for Joe to continue serving in the capacity of a police officer. Joe was honorably discharged from the Horsham Township Police Department in September 2020. In retirement, he continued his courageous fight against health issues for more than five years, so that he could be with the people he loved most – his beloved wife and children.

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Photos: HTPD