CORTLAND, NY (CortacaToday) — Flags in Cortland County are at half-staff.

It’s in tribute to former state Trooper Steve Bilodeau, who passed away last Thursday from a sickness connected to working at the World Trade Center site following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. In a press release issued Thursday, county officials note the gesture “is a small token of our immense gratitude and respect for a man who dedicated his life to the betterment of others.”

Bilodeau spent over 30 years as a state trooper before retiring from the Homer barracks in 2010.

Flags will stay lowered until Tuesday.