Upper Perkiomen High School has organized a memorable and emotional sendoff for beloved school resource officer Jim McFadden, writes Alicia Vitarelli for 6abc.

McFadden is retiring after nearly fifteen years of keeping an eye on the community all the while following his motto: “Keep smiling.”

To show him how much he means to them, a large group of students, teachers, and staff gathered on Tuesday for the not-so-little retirement celebration.

“It’s a little overwhelming,” says McFadden. “There’s no way to describe it other than they made an old man cry.”

McFadden is a former military police officer and Vietnam veteran who later served as the chief of police in Quakertown, where he worked for three decades.

In his time as a resource officer, McFadden was able to de-escalate any situation thanks to his calm demeanor and vast knowledge, said school officials.

“He’s just super nice and super kind,” said former student Tommy Moyles. “One of my friends didn’t have lunch one time and he gave him his lunch. He’s super cool and super generous.”

And while he may be retiring, McFadden is not sure it will last too long, as he likes to keep busy.

Read more about the send off celebration for the resource officer at 6abc.