GREEN MOUNTAIN – Claudia Sperry thinks about her late older brother, a former patrolman with the State Highway Patrol, every single day.
He has been gone nearly 50 years, killed in the line of duty.
Yancey County residents and visitors will now think of Patrolman Lawrence Canipe Jr. every time they see his name adorning signs as they cross a bridge on Toe River Road over the North Toe River.
“The memories I have of him, going places, doing things with him, and our childhood coming up together… I think about him a lot,” Sperry said on Thursday. “I’m sure he’s looking down from heaven smiling at all this.”
Sperry, other family members, friends, and more than 40 State Troopers gathered Thursday morning at Covy Rock Freewill Baptist Church to dedicate the bridge to Canipe. N.C. Department of Transportation board member Billy Clarke emceed the event.
State Highway Patrol Col. Freddy Johnson thanked the Canipe family, emphasized the dangers — and honor — of serving as a patrolman, and reminded the Canipe family that they are forever part of the Highway Patrol family.
“With today’s ceremony we are not only memorializing Patrolman Canipe’s sacrifice, but recognizing the importance of these bridge dedications,” Col. Johnson said. “They serve as an important reminder of the perils every law enforcement officer faces on a daily basis.”
Canipe was born Feb. 23, 1942, in Mitchell County, close to the Yancey County line and was a lifelong resident of North Carolina. He served honorably in the U.S. Air Force and then eight years with the State Highway Patrol. Canipe and Trooper Dean Arledge were killed on Oct. 5, 1974 while processing a drunk driver.
After Sperry shared some of her memories, the family, Clarke, and Col. Johnson unveiled a replica of the signs for the bridge.
“He would absolutely be fantastically pleased,” Sperry said of her brother. “Something like this, he probably wouldn’t have words to explain. It’s a sad situation that he gave up his life. But it’s certainly a big honor.”