‘Tears of Joy’ — Anonymous NJ cop leaves pregnant waitress $100 tip

GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP — A proud South Jersey dad says a police officer left a $100 tip for his pregnant daughter, a waitress.

A picture posted by Brian Cadigan on his Facebook page showed the tip left for his daughter, Courtney English, by the officer after his lunch last Friday at the Lamp Post Diner. It included a handwritten note, "Enjoy your first you will never forget."

Mark Patete, manager of the Lamp Post, said English cried "tears of joy" upon finding out about the tip, which came just two weeks before she starts her maternity leave in anticipation of her first child.

"This is a nice little ending for her before she goes out," Patete said.

The officer left the restaurant before English found out about the tip, Petete said.

"He didn't want her to find out about the tip until he was gone. He didn't want a big deal made of it, " Patete said of the officer, whose identity he would not disclose except that he is with the Voorhees police department.

Patete said he occasionally comes in for lunch and described him as a "really nice guy."

English's father expressed his gratitude in the Facebook post.

"What a wonderful person to not only leave a VERY generous tip, but a lovely message, I don't know you Mr Police Officer, but you made my little girl cry, and made her year. Thank you, I always had the utmost respect for Officers, but you went above and beyond not just an officer, but a beautiful human being. God Bless," Cadigan wrote in his post.

Cadigan also praised police in general in his post for doing "many good things everyday" that most people will never know about despite dealing with "the worst of society everyday."

Patete said he does not know if the officer has children but surmised that he did based upon his message of enjoying the first child.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNJ

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