GREENSBORO, N.C. — As Officer Michael T. Horan is laid to rest Thursday, those who knew him reflect on the cherished time they had with him. 

Horan had a love for sports, his family and being near the water. He had a sense of resilience and an enthusiastic personality, according to those who knew him best.

“He was a hard worker. It was definitely a throw him in, and it's like a sink or swim type game, you know? But, I think [that's] the part that we enjoyed,” said Greensboro Police Officer Tiffany Rahenkamp. 

Horan’s obituary says he claimed his home as New Jersey but attended high school in Greensboro, where he wrestled and played football before starting his career of helping others. 

“He was a detective. He was a patrol officer. He was in plain clothes. He was in business attire. He kind of, he kind of did it all. And he thrived at everything that he did,” Rahenkamp said. 

Horan was considered by others to be a jack-of-all-trades. He started his career as a lifeguard and first aid/CPR instructor at age 16 in New Jersey, in Beach Haven. Horan joined the U.S. Coast Guard in the early 2000s, obtaining multiple accolades and roles during his time in service. 

Officer Micheal Horan with his daughter. (Greensboro Police Department)

The officer became a reservist with the Coast Guard, joining the Greensboro Police Department in 2017. He was officially sworn in to the department in early 2018. He served on the department's violent crime reduction team, crimes against persons unit, patrol districts 2 and 4, the special events team and was an instructor for rapid deployment and active shooter training, according to his obituary. 

“We always picked with him about teaching an old dog new tricks, because obviously he was a little bit older than his classmates in the academy,”  Rahenkamp said. 

She said Horan trained with her squad and was on her squad for a short amount of time and that they frequently answered calls together, checking in on each other in passing. 

“He was off on my workdays, so he would work a lot of off duty at the hospital, where we would interact a lot. And in passing, we would always check on each other to make sure both of our families are doing OK. How everything was going within the department and our careers,” Rahenkamp said.

She describes Horan as someone who was very personable and made her feel as though they were friends from their first encounter. 

While Horan has many awards for his courage and service, Rahenkamp says his biggest honor was his family. 

“When I think of him, the one thing I think of is his daughter. His life really revolved around his daughter, his children and all [his family]…. I truly believe that he woke up every day for her. She was very special to him,” Rahenkamp said. 

Officer Horan was recently married. (Greensboro Police Department)

Horan was recently married and is survived by his daughter, wife, step-son, his parents, sister, step-sister and other family members. 

“There's children now that had to go through Christmas without their father. There's a wife that had to go through Christmas in the New Year without their husband. There's a mom who's going to have to bury their son. And that's just not, that's not how life should be,” Rahenkamp said. 

Community members left items of candy canes, poinsettias, wreaths, garland and small Christmas trees as just some of the signs of remembrance and gratitude for the officer during the holiday season. 

As Horan is laid to rest, Rahenkamp is continuing to help his legacy continue to shine and wants everyone to know who he really was. 

“He was a true hero. He was a resilient man. A resilient family man. So, I really, I really hate that he's gone,” Rahenkamp said. 

Horan’s funeral service will be held at Westover Church in Greensboro at 505 Muirs Chapel Rd. The service begins at 2 p.m. and is open to the public. If you would like to attend, officials advise arriving early.