The Madison Police Department is mourning the loss of Captain Wayne Kamus, who died of a heart attack Monday morning. He spent nearly 18 years with the department and was a U.S. Army veteran.

"He was a fantastic police officer. He contributed to the safety of this community, but he was a family man and was part of our family too," Captain John Stringer with Madison Police said.

Many say Captain Kamus set the example of what a police officer should aspire to be. He served as a school resource officer, gave police station tours to boys and girls scout troops and was scheduled to participate in the "Shop With A Hero" program in December.

"We use words like investing in the community and being a pillar of the community, and that becomes cliche sometimes, but the truth of the matter is, Wayne was all those things and more,"Captain Stringer said.

Stringer describes Kamus as an intelligent person and a "thinker" but says that most importantly, he was a good friend. Kamus mentored younger, newer officers. He spent the last year preparing the Madison Police Department for their national accreditation.

"His wife is going to miss him. Wayne loved his wife more than anything in this world. She was the most important thing to him," Stringer said.