Morris County Medical Examiner Retires after 26 Years of Service
Published on June 28, 2018
RONALD SUAREZ PRAISED AS AN ADVOCATE FOR THE DECEASED
The Morris County Board of Freeholders, along with Sheriff James M. Gannon and the Morris County Prosecutor's Office, honored retiring Morris County Medical Examiner Dr. Ronald Suarez on Wednesday for more than 26 years of outstanding service to Morris County.
Dr. Suarez plans to retire at the end of the month, ending a long career in which he provided exemplary service, working closely with law enforcement and the Department of Law and Public Safety.
Dr. Suarez is well respected across the state and nation, serving on many prominent organizations, such as the National Association of Medical Examiners and Society of Cardiovascular Pathology,'' said Freeholder Director Doug Cabana. .
"His excellence in the field of pathology and humanity also is well known far beyond our country's borders, for work he has done in places like Guatemala, Panama and Uzbekistan, among others. We thank Dr. Suarez for his dedication and wish him well on his retirement.''
Dr. Suarez has been quoted as saying that he is an ombudsman for the dead,'' and that medical examiners are death investigators who seek the truth on behalf of the dead who have no voice and their families and loved ones who are seeking closure, according to the resolution presented to him by the Board of Freeholders.
A native of Cuba, U.S. Navy veteran and current resident of Chatham Township, Dr. Suarez embarked in 1992 on a quarter-century of service to Morris County, and has been the Medical Examiner in recent years neighboring for Sussex and Warren counties, as well.
His career began in 1983 as Assistant Medical Examiner in Miami, and then as Assistant M.E. in Boston and for the State of New Jersey, and later as consultant to the U.S. A.I.D. Mission in El Salvador and the U.S. Justice Department.
Morris County Law and Public Safety Director Scott DiGiralomo praised Dr. Suarez for his compassion toward the family members of the deceased. He noted the many hours that Dr. Suarez would routinely spend with heartbroken loved ones, helping them understand the circumstances of a sudden death.
Morris County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Matt Troiano cited Dr. Suarez's skill on the witness stand, giving concise expert testimony in criminal cases that stood up even against world-renowned experts.
From left to right: Morris County Sheriff James M. Gannon, Freeholder Deborah Smith, Freeholder Kathryn DeFillippo, Dr. Ronald Suarez, Chief Assistant Prosecutor Matthew Troiano, Freeholder Director Douglas Cabana, Freeholder Heather Darling, and Deputy Freeholder Director Christine Myers.