Patrick Shell named Deputy of the Year

VICKSBURG, Miss. (VDN) — Patrick Shell has been named Deputy of the Year by the Vicksburg Homecoming Benevolent Club, an honor recognizing his decades of dedication to public service. Shell received the award last month during a ceremony where he was celebrated alongside other honorees.

“It’s always an honor when you’re appreciated by those you serve,” Shell said. “For me, that’s the highest honor, and for that I’m really proud.”

A lifelong Vicksburg resident, Shell began his law enforcement career in 1991 with the National Park Service. He started as an interpreter specialist before rising through the ranks to become Chief Ranger and later District Supervisor of the Trace before retiring.

After a couple of years away from the profession, Shell returned to service with the Warren County Sheriff’s Office. Now in his eighth year with the department, he serves as a bailiff in the courtroom, delivers summonses across the county, escorts inmates and still has the privilege of patrolling the Vicksburg National Military Park, where he lives.

Looking back over more than three decades in public safety, Shell remembers both the rewarding and heartbreaking moments that come with the job. Some calls have stayed with him, particularly one involving a father and son who were hiking when the father suffered a fatal medical emergency.

“We performed CPR and he came back for a minute, but then he was gone,” Shell recalled. “We had to help his son process the grief, but every time I see Boy Scouts hiking, I always remember that incident.”

Other calls ended on a more hopeful note. Shell recalled a Saturday when he placed aspirin in his patrol car that morning. Later that day, he encountered a man having a heart attack and was able to give him the aspirin before medical help arrived. The man survived.

“Those kinds of calls have a positive ending that you remember the most,” he said.

Shell has been married to his high school sweetheart, Carolyn, since 1981. Together they have built a life rooted in family, faith and service to the community.

Even after decades in uniform, Shell said his passion for the job remains strong.

“I love what I do and I love being with the Sheriff’s Office,” he said. “When I was a park ranger, I would hear all the things that deputies did on a daily basis, so getting to be a part of that is gratifying.”

For Shell, the Deputy of the Year award is more than recognition — it is a reminder that a lifetime of service to others continues to make a difference.