Grove City Police Chief Richard Jazwinski was candid about his official retirement on Friday after giving 24 years of his life to protect and serve the community.

When Jazwinski, a West Middlesex native, took a leave of absence from the department in March, he disclosed that he was taking a break for health reasons but wasn't ready to go into the particulars. This past week, however, the chief talked more freely about living more than eight months with an inoperable brain tumor.

Jazwinski, 53, noticed some strange symptoms in January -- around the time of his annual checkup -- and that led to two months of tests before the tumor was found. The mass is located in the top of his head, about a half-inch into the brain, he said.

The chief appears to be the picture of health. He's not lost much hair and has often been seen riding his bike in the borough. What can't be seen, however, is the strain the tumor causes to his left arm, rib area, neck and shoulder.

"It always feels tired, like I'm always using it," he said.

Plus, there have been some side effects with his treatment. He started seven weeks of radiation when the tumor was detected and has been on chemotherapy since.

"The radiation wasn't too bad until the last week," he said. "The chemo is new. ... You take four pills a day for five days and then go off for 23 days to recuperate. The side effects get worse as you go along, but they're not unbearable."

An unexpected side effect occurred after getting cancer as well.

"One thing that really bothers me is I've noticed some people who find out I have a brain tumor think I have a mental illness," he said. "They talk to me like I can't think straight or don't understand. It's just some. Most people are so great and outgoing."

Jazwinski was being treated at UPMC and Montefiore hospitals in Pittsburgh, but just started receiving care at the Hillman Cancer Center, a new multi-million dollar facility that opened two weeks ago in Pittsburgh.

Since the results of his last MRI a few weeks ago, he's been faced with a decision to change his treatment.

The resolution around the tumor appeared different and radiologists aren't sure if was a change in the tumor, or just swelling or scarring, he said.

"I may have to start a different type of radiation, to err on the side of safety," Jazwinski said. "I had other options. But the longer I wait, the window of opportunity closes."

It was before the last MRI that the chief decided to retire.

"I really wanted to come back to work. I was planning on retiring in 2004 and was disappointed that it was rushed," he said. "My oncologist encouraged me to retire to concentrate on my health."

Jazwinski has also had more time to concentrate on his family and friends.

At home, he lives with his wife Sandy and their twin 10-year-old children. He also has grown children from a previous marriage.

The tumor has also made him cling to his faith in a deeper way. He and his family are involved with activities at East Main Presbyterian Church, where he'll continue to do much of his service for the community and to those who need him.

"I've met a lot of people who trust me," he said. "One-on-one, I feel I can connect and do good that way."

If Jazwinski could single out a positive to having cancer, it would be that "it humbles you," he said.

"Ironically, when people would joke about hitting the lottery or getting a big paycheck, I'd say, 'If you don't have your health, you don't have anything,' " he said. "I had to take a second look at that when my health was on the line. I've learned that you have to stop. What good is life if you aren't enjoying it and you're living a hectic lifestyle?"

Jazwinski admits he was "pretty consumed in my work."

"The chief's job isn't over when you're home," he said. "People call and officers call. It was always on my mind. If I was off-duty and saw something wasn't right, I would be on the phone with the officers."

Still, it's been hard making the change.

"I got to know so many people in the community. It's hard not to be out there, spending time, talking ... and having them looking to me," he said. "I'd like to tell the community 'thank you.'"

Something he's really been doing since first starting as a patrolman in 1979.

"Back then, they hired you and then sent you to police academy," Jazwinski said. "If I had an armed robbery, I wouldn't have known where to start. They had me do 'tasks.' "

However, the chief has since gained a lot of experience -- and, he said, "a lot of stuff."

Stuff, including his personals and files, that Jazwinski's been packing up or clearing out at the borough's police headquarters on East Pine Street.

"I have to admit, it got to me," he said. "I hadn't been down there in a while. The guys were coming in and out. I'll miss them and the camaraderie."

Assistant Chief Dean Osborne echoed the sentiment.

"From our standpoint, I know everyone is going to miss him," Osborne said. "Everyone was disappointed he was not coming back, but it's the decision he made. If he's happy, we're happy."

Osborne has been with the department since 1989, and has seen Jazwinski go from patrolman to sergeant to chief, he said.

"He's taught me a lot," he said. "When I first started, he was one of the persons I'd go to. When I was named assistant chief, I learned a lot of the administrative end from him. It's still a learning experience."

Bruce Bennett, who as mayor oversees the police department, had similar feelings despite not having quite as much history with Jazwinski as Osborne does. He had a chance to work with the chief about a year before Jazwinski took time off.

"I'm sorry to see him leave," Bennett said. The mayor believed his "calm, soft spoken demeanor" was an asset to the force, he added. "He didn't get upset real easy."

The community is being asked by the Grove City Area Chamber of Commerce to show their appreciation to Chief Richard Jazwinski by decorating its windows and business marquees with words of congratulations and thanks. Councilman George Pokrant requested that displays be hung up the entire month of November to support the chief's retirement.