City of Ontario Memorials

C.D. Albright 

Commodore Dewey (“C.D.”) Albright was an employee of the Ontario Water Department from 1928 – 1930.

Albright lost his life in service of the City of Ontario on November 14, 1930 when a trench surrounding the sewer line Albright was working on caved in. The incident occurred near the intersection of Euclid Avenue and Dessau Street (now known as Phillips Street). Albright was extracted from the trench and ultimately passed at San Antonio Community Hospital. Albright is buried at Bellevue Memorial Park located in Ontario.

C.D. Albright was survived by his wife and siblings, and he was 32 at the time of his passing.

Chip Smith

Deputy Fire Chief Richard “Chip” Smith was hired by the City of Ontario Fire Department in July 1990 as a firefighter, and he held various positions during his 20 years of service with the Department as he moved up through the ranks to attain the position of Deputy Fire Chief.

In March, 2009 Chief Smith was diagnosed with an aggressive form of job-related cancer; and although he fought valiantly for over 11 months, he succumbed to his illness on February 22, 2010.

The passing of Deputy Chief Smith was a huge loss for not only the Fire Department, but the community he ultimately gave his life to serving. He is survived by a wife, and two daughters. 

Delbert Wing

Firefighter Engineer Delbert Wing worked for the Ontario Fire Department for 24 years. During his tenure with the City, Wing also served on the bomb squad and was a member of the International and National Association of Bomb Technicians and Investigators.

Wing passed away on April 11, 1986 from kidney cancer caused by chemicals he was exposed to during his career with the department.

His life and dedicated service are also memorialized at Fire Station No. 1, where Wing served as a dedicated member of Truck Co. 1.

Don Robert Klassen

Captain Don Klassen was an Ontario Firefighter for 30 years. Klassen was known throughout the department for his dependability and notably fighting a fire near his home while he was off duty.

Don Klassen was diagnosed with a blood disease while he was still an active employee. He battled the disease for 15 months while still on active duty before retiring in November 1992, and unfortunately he succumbed to the disease February 4, 1993.

Klassen is remembered by the City of Ontario Fire Department for his exceptional demeanor.

Lloyd Harvey Hopkins

Fire Chief Lloyd Harvey Hopkins was an employee of the Ontario Fire Department for 34 years and served as Fire Chief for 11 of those years.

On July 29, 1963, Chief Hopkins, who had an “On Call” status, responded to a fire in Ontario. Shortly after, he died of a job-related heart attack.

Chief Hopkins was active in many fire service organizations. He was a member of the California Fire Chiefs’ Association; National Fire Protection Association; Pacific Coast Inter-Mountain Association; past president of both Citrus Belt Fire Chiefs’ Association and the Ontario-Upland Industrial Supervisors Club.

Bernard Green 

The Ontario Police Department lost it's first officer on June 15, 1951. Officer Bernard Green was assisting San Bernardino County Sheriff's deputies who were in pursuit of a suspect in the attempted murder of a police officer. The pursuit proceeded into Ontario from Fontana on Highway 99 (Holt Boulevard). 

Patrolman Green took a position as ordered at Holt Blvd. & Bon View. As the suspect approached Green’s marked police car, he intentionally rammed it in the rear causing the gas tank to explode and hurling the unit into a cement truck. 

Officer Green was thrown from the car, but the heat and flames were too intense to reach him for several minutes. He later died at San Antonio Community Hospital.
 

Louis Dulisse 

On March 17, 1954 at 9:40pm, 43 year old Louis Dulisse was riding as a Reserve Officer with his partner Sgt. H.D. Williams, one of the 35 sworn officers of the Ontario Police Department. 

Sgt. Williams and Reserve Officer DuLisse arrived in response to an attempted robbery at the Casa Blanca Hotel. Williams ordered DuLisse to cover the exterior and wait for backup as he went into the lobby and was disarmed by a hiding suspect. As other officers arrived and approached the deadly situation, DuLisse gave up his cover to warn the other officers of the danger.

Louis DuLisse was immediately fired upon by the suspect in the lobby and was unable to return fire without endangering Sgt. Williams. Reserve Officer Louis Dulisse paid the ultimate price to defend his City.
 

Russel Grower

On February of 1958, Detective Russel Grower gave his life in service to the City of Ontario. Accompanied by a detective from Pomona and another detective from Monte Vista, Detective Grower was shot in the head during an investigation that led them to the area of Chino Hills. 

A massive manhunt lead by Sheriff Frank Bland resulted in the arrest of Lester Bonds who had a history of violent mental illness and assaults on law enforcement officers.  

Detective Grower was a veteran of World War II and had been shot down in enemy territory. He was held as a prisoner of war for 13 months and nearly died in the infamous Stalag 17. 

Richard Mason Hyche

Ontario Officer Richard Mason Hyche was killed by Steven Miller on October 15, 1975. Miller was wanted for investigation of a murder at the Pepper Tree Motel the previous day. 

Miller was seen walking along Sixth Street near the overpass of the IS 10 freeway and as a police unit responded to the area, it was immediately fired upon by Miller who fled the scene on foot. Officer Hyche drove to an apartment complex north of the freeway and parked and exited his unit to see if anyone had seen the suspect running in the area.

Hyche had taken only about 10 steps when Miller shot him from the corner of one of the apartment buildings. Hyche fell wounded. Officers Pete Carillo and Rusty Green arrived, and risked their lives to pull Hyche to safety while under fire from Miller. Officer Hyche died at 12:40pm. 

Miller was captured, convicted of the murder and sentenced to death, escaping the gas chamber due to Supreme Court decisions. He later escaped from prison and was killed in Montana after a deadly crime spree there.