Penn Hills Officer William Long was known for having a positive attitude at the police department, whatever the issues ahead of him.

His professionalism and compassion are being remembered after he died of a heart attack on Aug. 25, shortly after he cut his lawn at his home.

Mr. Long's dedication to his job was noticed, said Officer Benjamin Westwood.

"Early on, I could see him as somebody who is committed to his job and does the best he could do," Westwood said. "He took his job seriously and did the best he could do even if he was tired or having a bad day. He served the community well."

Westwood's sentiment is shared among several officers in the police department.

Michael Hudek, detective and police union president, admired Long for his willingness to be honest any time he was asked for his opinion.

"He was a good guy and everyone is going to miss him," Hudek said. "He was always in a good mood. He had a good sense of humor away from his job."

Hudek also noticed his dedication to his family. Mr. Long regularly bragged about and said how proud he was of his twins, Ashley and Alex, 16.

Mr. Long, who joined the police department on Jan. 15, 1996, was hoping to retire in another year at age 50. He retired from the Navy following 20 years of service, said Officer David Ruggiero.

He recalled Mr. Long as an officer who always was pleasant and professional.

Phil Pusateri, police records supervisor, remembers when he worked alongside Mr. Long in the police communications room, which is now closed.

"He was very good with dispatching and handling calls," he said. "He was good with people. He would have done well to work with juveniles, with him being a family man."

Mr. Long was promoted on July 1 to juvenile officer, which offered him more regular hours. The position did not involve working the midnight shift or weekends.

Officer Dennis Lynch said Mr. Long was active in the police department, writing the bylaws for the police union and standard operating procedures for the Special Emergency Response Team, which he served on from 1996 to July 2005. Dom Costa, then-public safety director, disbanded the team.

"Bill had a natural ability to serve as a leader," Lynch said. "His 20 years of service in the Navy made him a better police officer. He was sincere about his job."

When asked to complete an assignment, Mr. Long did it without questioning, said Lt. William Markel.

"He was a very determined police officer and he didn't complain," Markel said. "You could depend on him. He will be missed."

Mr. Long's dedication to his job also was noticed by Mag-isterial District Judge Leonard HRomyak, a retired Penn Hills police officer.

"He was a very conscientious officer who was thorough and only put the community and job first, instead of himself," HRomyak said. "He was excellent in following up on cases."

Officer Dutch Perz said Mr. Long could always be depended upon for backup and was always level-headed and composed.

Tina Perz, Perz's wife, noticed the caring side of Mr. Long when her husband served in Iraq with the Air National Guard.

Mr. Long came over to clean ice off her car during the winter and checked on her every week.

His willingness to go above and beyond expectations also was recognized by Allegheny County Volunteer Firefighters Association at Universal Vol-unteer Fire Department in June 2005 after he saved Damian Shavers, a Swissvale man, from a burning Jeep.

In April 2005, Mr. Long arrived 10 seconds after the first responder to the scene on Allegheny River Boulevard, where Shavers struck a telephone pole around 3:30 a.m. and his Jeep Cherokee flipped onto its side, with the driver's side down.

Mr. Long did not know the burning vehicle was occupied until Shavers coughed. He rushed to open the tailgate and pulled Shavers, who later recovered, from the vehicle.