PHOENIX — Every New Year’s day about one million people from all over the world pack the streets of Pasadena, California for the Rose Parade. This year they’ll see one entry that honors an Arizona trooper’s ultimate sacrifice and his continued call for service.
One of the floats in this year’s parade is “Donate Life America.” It will feature a beautiful floragraph of fallen Arizona Department of Public Safety trooper Tyler Edenhofer. His image will be among 44 floral memorial portraits of organ, eye and tissue donors from across the United States adorning the float, KTAR reported.
His mother, Deborah Edenhofer, received a sneak peak of the floragraph as it was revealed for the first time on Wednesday at the Donate Life Arizona headquarters.
“He was so humble,” Edenhofer said of her son. “He wouldn’t want all this, but I know he definitely is honored.”
After viewing the image, she said, “It kind of felt like he was here.”
Arizona DPS wrote the following memorial for the fallen trooper:
“Trooper Tyler Edenhofer was shot and killed in the line of duty in the late night hours of July 25, 2018. Trooper Edenhofer graduated from the State Trooper Academy on May 4, 2018 and was finishing his last night of Field Training when calls came in of a man on the side of the road throwing debris at passing vehicles on Interstate 10 near Avondale. Trooper Edenhofer arrived on scene with his Field Trainer to assist the responding trooper and a physical altercation ensued between the suspect and troopers, lasting roughly eight minutes. During the altercation, the suspect was able to obtain one of the troopers’ service weapon and fired two shots. One trooper suffered a non-fatal gun shot wound through his shoulder and Trooper Edenhofer was also shot. The troopers were rushed to the hospital where Trooper Edenhofer was pronounced deceased. Trooper Edenhofer served in the Navy before joining AZDPS in September 2017. He is the youngest fallen trooper from DPS.”
“Last week of field training is when I lost him,” Edenhofer said. “He had so much more to give, so much more to do. And he would’ve done it. He was so dedicated.”
As an organ donor, Trooper Edenhofer was able to restore vision for two people and help 20 others with his cornea and tissue donations, according to KTAR.
His mom encourages others to take the step and register as organ, eye and tissue donors.
“He’s still serving,” she said. “Other people can be the same. They can be heroes as well and save people’s lives.”
