"Heroes Live Forever" - the story of San Francisco Police Officer Barry Rosekind

Barry Rosekind died in a motorcycle crash nearly 70 years ago. His son, Mark, turned his father's loss into inspiration and became one of our nation's leaders in promoting safety on our roadways.

McLean, VA (October 28, 2025) - On August 14, 1958, San Francisco lost one of its own. Police Officer Barry Ronald Rosekind, just 30 years old, was killed in the line of duty while pursuing a speeding vehicle on his police motorcycle. His watch ended, but his legacy had only begun. Barry left behind his wife, Marilyn, and two young sons, Mark and Gary. Marilyn was one of the founders and longtime president of the Bay Area Law Enforcement Assistance Fund (BALEAF), an organization dedicated to support the families of fallen officers. Mark was only 3 years old when his father died, but the loss he suffered would become his inspiration. Decades later, Mark rose to become the Administrator of NHTSA (the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), our nation’s leader in promoting safety on our roadways. During his tenure, Mark made officer traffic safety a top priority. But his focus expanded much further, doing everything he could to make sure fewer families would endure the loss of a loved one on our nation’s roadways. His leadership was described as aggressive and unrelenting. And there was good reason. Every initiative, every regulation, every public statement carried the echo of his father’s sacrifice. Listen to the podcast to learn more: https://open.substack.com/pub/behindbadge/p/heroes-live-forever-the-story-of-07e