The Kirkwood community has lost a Pioneer with the death of former policeman and school resource officer Mike Bales.

"Officer Bales," as he was best known, died Friday, Oct. 19, due to complications caused by a recent seizure.

Bales, 46, was an 18-year employee of the Kirkwood Police Department, which included nine years as the school resource officer at Kirkwood High School. He also served as the director of safety and security for the Kirkwood School District from 2008 to 2011, when he could no longer work after having brain surgery.

In January 2011, Bales had surgery to remove a benign tumor growing on his pituitary gland. While in the hospital, he suffered a series of strokes that rendered him unable to move - or even swallow - on his own. He was confined to a wheelchair, required 24-hour care and his only communication was nonverbal.

The Kirkwood community rallied around the popular police and school resource officer, raising several thousand dollars to help mitigate mounting medical bills and purchase expensive equipment necessary for his recovery.

Although the use of a wheelchair was still necessary, Bales had made great progress during the past year. He no longer needed a feeding tube, his communication skills were increasing and he and his wife even went on a Caribbean cruise.

"He was still really sick, but he had been making amazing improvements, so we had no inclination that this was coming," his wife, Teri Bales, said of the seizure he had two and half weeks ago.

Despite the fact that the last 21 months of his life was difficult, his wife said she and her husband made the most of it.

"Even though we had a really long 21 months, we made the absolute best out of this horrible situation," Teri Bales said. "Nothing stopped us. We had season tickets to the hockey games, the cruise was just awesome and we still did a lot of normal stuff. Even though this has a not-so-happy ending, he had a good life and we made the most of what we had."

Even though Bales hadn't been the same since the surgery in January 2011, there were some things that hadn't changed.

"He still smiled and his sense of humor was still there," Teri Bales said.

That smile and sense of humor, coupled with his personality and positive outlook, made Bales a friend to just about everyone he met.

"He loved working with everybody he came into contact with," said Kirkwood High School Principal Mike Havener, who was on the interviewing committee that hired Bales to be the high school resource officer. "The relationships he established with people in the school and the community will last forever. He's always going to be a Kirkwood Pioneer."

Kirkwood police officer and personal friend Geoff Morrison can vouch for how much Bales was liked and respected in the schools and the community.

"He made a lot of friends for the police department and the school district because he was conscientious and hard working," Morrison said. "During the time he was the resource officer for nine years he helped hundreds of kids and families...and that's the best kind of person you can be."

Teri Bales calls that her husband's ripple effect - his positivity touched so many people, who then spread joy to others.

"It's an amazing ripple," she said.

Last Words

Teri Bales is asking the community for a favor - she would love for people to write thoughts, funny stories, sayings or any memories they wish to share about her husband and send them to her. She plans to make scrapbooks from the letters and notes.

"I want a big book of people's memories of my husband so I can enjoy everyone else's experiences with Mike," she said. "Mike has inspired and touched so many people in countless and numerous ways, and I would love to have those stories."

Letters can be sent to: Teri Bales, c/o Bopp Chapel, 10610 Manchester Road, Kirkwood, Mo. 63122-1308.