Longtime Derry police chief Ed Garone dies
Oct. 12—Retired Derry Police Chief Edward B. Garone, who served as the town's top cop for half a century until his retirement last month, died Tuesday of a lengthy illness, the Police Department confirmed.
Chief Garone served as a law enforcement officer for 58 years, beginning on Oct. 15, 1964, with the Lebanon Police Department.
He served as chief in Derry from June 1, 1972 until his retirement on Sept. 30.
Garone died Tuesday "surrounded by his wife Blanche and family," current Derry Chief George Feole said in a statement.
Garone's half-century at the helm of the Derry Police Department was celebrated during a dinner party at the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel in Manchester in June. More than 500 current and former members of law enforcement, local and state officials, friends and family attended.
According to the National Police Association, the average tenure for police chiefs is four to six years.
Garone's 50 years in charge in Derry, plus an additional seven years of service as a police officer, made him the longest-serving full-time chief in Granite State history, according to the International Association of Chiefs of Police.
Asked in June what kept him putting on the uniform each day for 50 years, Garone, 79, didn't hesitate with his answer.
"The job isn't as tough as some people might make it out to be," said Garrone. "It's helping people, and helping people should make you feel good. It's made me feel good for a long time."
Garone was appointed chief in Derry, not elected. Manchester Police Chief Allen Aldenberg said that's an important distinction.
"I believe he's the longest-serving appointed chief in the country — that shows you the town still trusts him, still believes in him," Aldenberg said in June. "It's incredible. I don't care how big or how small the community you work for is, 50 years is a substantial part of someone's life to dedicate to public service. I have a ton of respect for him."
A Vermont native, Garone joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 1961. After completing boot camp at Parris Island, S.C., he went on to serve a 16-month deployment in Iwakuni, Japan, before returning to Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. After his three-year hitch, he returned home to his wife, Blanche, and was sworn in as a police officer in Lebanon on Oct. 15, 1964.
During his time with the Lebanon Police Department, Garone rose to the rank of captain. After seven and a half years, he moved to Derry, where he was named police chief at age 29.
Over his 50 years, the Derry department grew from 20 full-time officers and seven specialists to 59 full-time officers, 15 civilians, and four part-time personnel.
"It's pretty rare that someone spends 50 years in law enforcement. You have to love this job," said Derry Police Capt. Vern Thomas in June. "But someone who spends 50 years as chief, that's something special, very special."
Chief Garone oversaw the investigation of hundreds of criminal cases, the most prominent being the Pamela Smart case, which gained national attention in 1990.
Smart was 22 in 1990 when she was accused of orchestrating her husband Gregg Smart's murder with the help of a 15-year-old lover and three of his teenage friends, who tried to make the fatal shooting in the Smarts' Derry home look like a botched robbery. The plot unraveled, and the ensuing trial attracted worldwide interest.
Garone was also instrumental in the formation of the first regional special operations unit in the state — the Southern New Hampshire Special Operations Unit.
In 2015, he received the New Hampshire Congressional Law Enforcement Award for Career Service for his 50 years of outstanding dedication and commitment to New Hampshire law enforcement.
Garone served on the board of directors in some capacity for local organizations like the Greater Derry Boys and Girls Club, Derry Rotary Club, and the Derry Veterans Assistance Fund, and has been recognized with various awards, including Derry Citizen of the Year in 1984.
U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-NH, issued a statement Wednesday, offering condolences to Garone's family and friends. "Chief Garone gave Derry five decades of service — five decades of mentoring young officers, providing steadfast leadership to the Derry PD and giving comfort to community members who knew they could rely (on) and trust him with their families' safety," Shaheen said.
"He left an indelible mark on the Derry community and he will be dearly missed," she said.
Shaheen recently entered a statement into the Congressional Record to honor Garone and his many contributions to Derry and the state of New Hampshire.
"Exhaustive research conducted by his colleagues concluded that Edward Garone is the longest-serving full-time chief of police in the history of New Hampshire and quite possibly the entire country," said Shaheen. "This distinction is a testament to Ed's unwavering commitment to bettering his community and helping others. The Granite State and the many communities he has served are grateful for Chief Garone's many contributions and acts of selfless service."
Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-NH, said in a statement that Chief Garone "represented the very best of New Hampshire, living his life in service to our state and our country."
"He always cared first and foremost about helping people — and people across our state are grateful for his decades of dedicated service," Hassan said. "My prayers are with his family, friends, and all who had the privilege of knowing him."
Garone is survived by his wife, Blanche, his son Michael and his wife, Rebecca, his daughter Vicky Moran and her husband, Frank, his grandchildren Aiden Garone, Alexander Garone, Maureen Marquis and her husband, Ryan, and his two foster grandchildren, Carleigh Sullivan and Ethan Sullivan Dupuis. He is also survived by his brother-in-law, James Wormwood of Elyria, Ohio.
Funeral arrangements have yet to be announced.
