By John Ostapowicz and Nicarlyle Hanchard / The Jambar
From the mournful hum of bagpipes to the gentle sound of “Taps” being played, a memorial to honor the life and service of Ohio State Highway Patrol Trooper Nicholas Cayton was held at Youngstown State University inside Beeghly Center on Oct. 22.
The service honored the trooper who was killed on State Route 11 in Mahoning County when a semi-truck collided with his cruiser Oct. 16.
Law enforcement, family members, friends, YSU students and faculty lined up on Armed Forces Boulevard and saluted the casket as it proceeded into the back of an ambulance with the conclusion of the Celebration of Life ceremony.
Several state officials, such as Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel and OHSP Superintendent Col. Charles Jones, were among those who attended the memorial.
DeWine spoke at the service and reflected on stories and the hope that Cayton brought into the world, along with his devotion to serve both his country and the state of Ohio.
“Through the darkness that everyone is feeling right now, there will be light again,” DeWine said. “Perhaps that is one of the most important lessons that Trooper Cayton can teach us. He lived his life with hope, with great gusto [and] with great spirit. His light and the hope that he brought into every room he entered will never diminish.”
Jones said the words “love of country and state” were those that reminded him of Cayton’s service, as the three service uniforms he wore throughout his lifetime — military, bagpiper and patrol — were displayed at the ceremony.
“His love of country began in uniform as a soldier, serving our nation with courage as a combat veteran in the Ohio National Guard. Even as he transitioned to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, this call to serve never left him,” Jones said. “He continued to wear both uniforms continuing his service while proudly representing his patrol and the people of this great state.”
In response to his death, DeWine ordered the U.S. and state of Ohio flags to be flown at half-mast at all public buildings and grounds throughout Mahoning County, the Ohio Statehouse, the Vern Riffe Center and the Rhodes State Office Tower, and remained so until sunset on the day of his funeral.
The ceremony also shut down a majority of YSU’s campus. The Office of the President mandated that classes scheduled before 4 p.m. the day of the ceremony were to be moved online, while laboratory sections continued as scheduled unless instructed otherwise.
The university also closed off the west side parking lots to accommodate guest parking and the funeral procession adjacent to the Andrews Student Recreation and Wellness Center.
According to WKYC, Cayton attended Youngstown State and graduated with a degree in criminal justice, along with his completion of the university’s police academy.
After graduation, he served as a member of the Ohio Army National Guard, where he served in two tours overseas, one in Iraq and another in Afghanistan. In 2012, he joined the highway patrol and served at the Columbiana County Patrol Post in Lisbon, before transferring to the Mahoning County Patrol Post in Canfield.