Adrian Monroe Minkin, a Vietnam veteran who was a deputy sheriff for the Alameda County Sheriff’s Department for 19 years, died Aug. 12 in Walnut Creek of liver cancer. He was 57.

Minkin was born on May 22, 1947, in Omaha, Neb. His mother, Nellie Edel Minkin, was an immigrant from Poland and his father, Sam Minkin, a native of Omaha.

He was the second of four children in a traditional Jewish family, going to the neighborhood shul and attending Hebrew school.

Minkin was drafted and sent to Vietnam. Though he earned the Bronze Star for valor, once he returned home, he joined Vietnam Vets to End the War.

Minkin’s sister Lynne Snyder said he chose to become a deputy sheriff because it was “a respected profession, and it continued his service to the community, which were important values to him.”

In the early 1970s Minkin moved to San Francisco, and married Marlene Biro in 1979. They settled in Pleasanton in 1991, and became active members of Congregation Beth Emek in Livermore.

Minkin is survived by his wife, Marlene Minkin, daughters Erika and Ashley and grandson Connor, all of Pleasanton; sisters Lynne Snyder of Monte Sereno, Rhea Adler of Novato, an account executive at j. weekly, and Sheryl Minkin of Fairfax; and several nieces and nephews.

Donations can be made to Congregation Beth Emek, 1886 College Ave., Livermore, CA 94550, or the American Cancer Society, 201 Mission St. #720, S.F., CA 94105.