Emmanuel Familia

On June 4, 2021, Worcester Police Department Patrol Officer Enmanuel “Manny” Familia passed away while attempting to rescue a drowning child. 

Familia was born in La Vega, Dominican Republic, and he and his family moved to the United States when he was just eight years old to pursue a better life. They settled in Worcester, Massachusetts where he and his three siblings were raised by their parents. The Familia family was a family of God with strong beliefs who supported each other no matter what. Familia was very athletic and loved most sports growing up. He adored and played basketball, eventually becoming the captain of his team his senior year of high school. When he was not playing sports, Familia could be found spending time with his cousins and friends and in church with his family where he was an altar boy. In church, he and his future wife, Jennifer, met and became friends instantly. Together, they attended the same catechism classes and were members of the youth group, so their friendship grew closer over the years. While they were in high school, they began dating and have been together ever since. 

Familia loved working with people and wanted to help his community, which led him to join the Worcester Police Department in 2016. Prior to that, he worked for the Clark University Campus Police Department, Quinsigamond Community College Campus Police Department, and Oakham Police Department. He loved working with others in the community he grew up in and was very empathetic in regards to others. His goals were to always make his family proud and give back to his community. Throughout his honorable career, Familia was a member of the Tactical Patrol Force, the Crisis Intervention Team, a Crisis Negotiator, and a Department Recruitment Officer. Familia was also training to become a member of the SWAT Team around the time of his death. 

After moving to Florida after her husband’s premature passing with her children, Jayla and Jovan, Jennifer loves to spend time outside, go to the beach where can sit out and read a good book for a good part of the day. She also spends a lot of time on the baseball field with her son, Jovan. She is a very proud baseball mom and adores watching him enjoy what he loves to do. Jennifer, Jayla, and Jovan love to travel around to different parts of Florida together. Familia’s pride and joy were his children, who he risked his life every day for in order to give them the best life. Familia was a great father which was his biggest accomplishment. He was his children’s hero and he is the reason Jennifer and their children continue to push forward every day. They will continue to make him proud the same way he made them proud. Jennifer is grateful to Tunnel to Towers for providing them with the financial stability of a mortgage-free home. She is now financially stable enough to provide more to Jayla and Jovan. She would like others to know that Familia will forever be the Hero of the community and to his family and friends, however, for Jennifer, he was her everything. He was her best friend, husband, the father to her children, and the man she grew up with. On June 4, 2021, a hero was lost but so was a husband, father, and son. 

Worcester Police Department Patrol Officer Enmanuel “Manny” Familia leaves behind his loving wife, Jennifer and his beautiful children, Jayla and Jovan.