Hoosier Lottery Beneficiary, Local Police & Firefighters’ Pensions
Married couple Marshall and Kathy decided to join the police force long before they met each other. For Kathy, it was her strong sense of right and wrong and wanting to help others do the right thing. Her dad also influenced her as he was a reserve deputy sheriff. For Marshall, his desire to be in law enforcement was strong from a young age. “This is the only thing I ever wanted to do,” he said.
Marshall and Kathy met on the job and enjoyed long careers with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department. Kathy, a detective, retired in 2018 after 30 years and Marshall, a lieutenant, in 2019 after 35 years.
Kathy’s career included working as a detective in the vice unit and later in the personnel department doing background investigations. She appreciated the steady schedule being in personnel afforded her, as it made it easier to see her family and have balance.
Being partners in law enforcement meant they could lean on each other and share day-to-day stresses that are unique to job. “We were able to go to each other and support each other through some tough times,” Kathy said.
Marshall’s career included working undercover narcotics. He also spent his last six years at the Academy where he was in charge of recruit training. He enjoyed teaching the recruits about the history of policing and also played a role in creating a financial literacy course for the new officers. “I loved assisting with retirement planning and telling them that if they followed this advice, they’d be able to retire comfortably someday,” he said.
Having a job with a pension was very important to Marshall from a young age. “One of my heroes is my dad,” he said. “He worked for General Motors. I just remember all his hard work and what his pension meant to him. I wanted to work in a career where there would be some financial stability after all that time investment.
The decision to retire wasn’t easy for Marshall or Kathy, but after some careful financial planning, they are thankful they were able to do it when they did.
In retirement, the couple enjoys traveling, taking cruises, NASCAR, golfing and spending time with their six grandchildren.
They are also supporters of the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) which is an organization that helps provide police families with support and services. One of Marshall’s fondest memories is participating in the Shop with a Cop holiday charity event through the FOP where area children are paired with a police officer for a day of lunch and shopping.
When asked what he’d say to someone considering joining the police force, Marshall said, “I can't say enough about the career that the citizens of Indianapolis allowed me to have. Being a police officer is one of the most honorable things you can do.
The Hoosier Lottery would like to extend our sincere gratitude to Kathy and Marshall and all the other police department personnel who make a huge difference in the lives of so many, each and every day.
