Police Officer Jan Frank Apro
(1930-2024)
Jan was born June 26, 1930 in Cincinnati to Hungarian immigrants, John Frank and Mary (Pfandt) Apro. The family moved to North College Hill in 1947, and Jan entered North College Hill High School as a Junior. There, he participated in football, track, baseball, glee club, intramurals, senior play, and on the annual staff. He graduated in 1948.
After high school, Jan sang in the St. Paul Evangelical church choir and continued to do so, except while in the military, until at least July 1962.
Jan entered the military for the Korean War and served four years. He was honorably discharged as a Corporal.
In the early 1950s, Jan volunteered on the ambulances of three funeral homes, the primary emergency medical responders of the time.
In 1952, Jan joined the Mt. Healthy Police Department as a Patrolman. In May 1955, Patrolmen Apro and Hamilton County Patrolman Raymond Cravaack apprehended four robbers of a Reading Road gas station earning them “Police Officer of the Month” distinction by Pennington Bakeries. On November 26, 1956, along with a Colerain Township Constable and citizens, he saved the life of a four-year-old North College Hill girl who fell through thin ice in the Arlington Memorial Gardens Cemetery. Patrolman Apro brought her back to life with cardiopulmonary resuscitation. He was elected as Secretary for the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 84 serving in 1957 and 1958 and then as Vice President in 1959.
In November 1960, he joined the Colerain Music Drama Guild and participated as a soloist and/or actor in annual plays until at least 1967, including serving as Director in 1966. He took acting class at Mount St. Joseph College and continued with them in putting on plays. In 1969, he also starred in a play for the St. James Players.
Patrolman Apro left the Mt. Healthy Police Department in 1961 to become the personnel director for American Can Company, later the Metal Specialty Company. At the end of 1965 he joined the Cincinnati Time Recorder as its personnel director. To keep his hand in law enforcement, on May 7, 1962, he joined the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office as a Special Deputy and served in the Colerain/Springfield Townships Auxiliary.Additionally, he served again on the Young Funeral Home ambulance.
In 1968, he resigned from the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office on December 4, 1968 and joined the North College Hill Police Department as a parttime Patrolman.
When the funeral homes got out of the emergency medical business in 1972, he founded the Mt. Healthy Life Squad. He served as its Captain until April 1981. He was also a First Aid instructor for the Red Cross.
In 1975, he helped establish the Concerned Persons of the Mt. Healthy School District and was elected co-chairperson.
On June 12, 1979, Mercy Hospitals hired him as their Safety Assurance Coordinator for Mercy Hospitals. He served as such beyond 1984.
Police Officer Apro finally retired from North College Hill on May 23, 2005 with 57 years of service to his country, county, two communities, and a school district in numerous ways.
Officer Apro was also a member of the McMakin Lodge 120 F&AM, the Scottish Rite, and Syrian Shrine, where he participated as Scooter the clown.
In retirement, he immediately began working as a volunteer at the Deaconess Hospital.
Officer Apro died peacefully on the morning of November 3, 2024 at the age of 94.
Officer Apro is survived by his wife of 72½ years, Nola Mae (Thomas) Apro; Children, Vicki Lynn (George) Prather, Robin Sue (Mike) Keller, and Jann B. Apro; grandchildren, Jana (Eric) Davis, Katie (Sean) Gill, Ritchie (Heather) Allen, Robbie Allen, and Michael (Megan) Keller; and great-grandchildren, Ryan, Madelyn, Caroline, Isabelle, Raegan, Ryker, Brayden, Emma Kate, Olivia, Hannah, and Claire.
A visitation will be held 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Friday, November 8, 2024, at Journey Community Church, 6997 Hamilton Avenue in North College Hill. Fraternal Order of Police, Masonic, Scottish Rite, and funeral Services will begin at 12 p.m.
Memorials may be sent to the American Heart Association or Shriners Children’s.
© 2024 – All rights reserved to LT Stephen R. Kramer RET and the Greater Cincinnati Police Museum