Neptune City mourns first female officer who dies at home in Manasquan at the age of 44

NEPTUNE CITY−The borough's police force is mourning the department's first female officer.

Erin Patrice Rubas died at the age of 44 on Monday at her home in Manasquan with her family by her side, according to her obituary in the Asbury Park Press.

The cause was breast cancer, said her husband, Michael P. Rubas.

Erin Rubas served as an officer with Neptune City from 2003 to 2007, the department said in a Facebook post.

She went on to become a detective with the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office, where she worked for years in major crimes and forensics and at homicide crime scenes, according to her obituary.

She came from a police family. Her father retired as a lieutenant with the Wall Township Police Department, and her grandfather retired as a New Jersey State trooper, the department said.

In addition to her husband, she is survived by her sons, Julian and Quintus, her parents, James and Gail Burns, her cousin Tracey Sayers and Sayers' children Sydney and Colin, as well as close friends and other cousins.

Visitation will be from 2 to 6 p.m. Sunday, July 23, at the O’Brien Funeral Home, 2028 Hwy 35 at New Bedford Road in Wall. A mass of Christian burial will follow at 10 a.m. Monday, July 24, in St. Catharine’s Church, 215 Essex Ave., Spring Lake. Burial will be in St. Anne’s Cemetery in Wall.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Metavivor, Metastatic Breast Cancer Research at https://metavivor.org, an organization that Erin strongly supported, Michael Rubas said.

Ken Serrano covers breaking news, crime and local issues. Reach him at 732-643-4029 or at kserrano@gannettnj.com.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Neptune City NJ mourns first female officer Erin Patrice Rubas