Robert Emmett O’Rourke

Robert Emmett O’Rourke

Police Officer

Robert E. O’RourkeRobert O’Rourke was born on February 19, 1872, in San Simeon, California. In 1900 Mr. O’Rourke and Emma McCoy-O’Rourke (sister of Mrs. Walter Shay Jr.) were married, making their home at 981 N. “F” Street in San Bernardino. Robert and Emma O’Rourke had no children and in 1908, Emma passed away. That same year Officer O’Rourke left the San Bernardino Police Department, moved to Long Beach and joined the Long Beach Police Department, becoming that department’s first motor officer and rising to the rank of captain of detectives.

While living in Long Beach, Officer O’Rourke married Mary Elizabeth Settles, with whom he had a daughter. In 1914 Officer O’Rourke left the Long Beach Police Department and moved to Santa Monica. After only serving at the Santa Monica Police Department as a detective for a short time, he was hired by the Pasadena Police Department as a detective, the only person to ever be hired by Pasadena with the entry level rank of detective. Mr. O’Rourke served the Pasadena Police Department for 20 years, retiring in 1941 at the rank of detective lieutenant.

Officer O’Rourke died in Alhambra, California, of natural causes on December 6, 1941, at the age of 68 and is buried in Mountain View Cemetery in Alta Loma.