Earl Landry Obituary

Earl Landry was Chief of the Cornwall Police Service from 1974 to 1984.  His son Earl Jr. was charged, convicted and sentenced to six years for sexually abusing young boys.

Obituary for Earl Joseph (Retired Police Chief-Cornwall Police Services) Landry (Cornwall Standard Freeholder) 

LANDRY, Earl Joseph (Retired Police Chief-Cornwall Police Services) - Peacefully at the Cornwall Community Hospital on Saturday, November 3, 2007 with his family by his side after a courageous battle with kidney disease. He was 83. Beloved husband of Madeleine (Lalonde-Lavallée) Landry and by a former marriage late Nora (Wilsher) Landry. Dear father of Brian Landry (Barbara), Elizabeth Bruyere (Mike) both of Cornwall, William Landry (Sharlene) of Windsor and Earl Landry Jr. of Ottawa. Dear step-father of Anne Bourdeau (Andre) and John Lalonde (Margaret) both of Tyotown and Paul Lalonde (Shirley) of Williamstown. Loved grandfather (Paw) of 9 grandchildren, Erin, Matthew, Stephen, Sarah, Jeffrey, Ben, and Joey Landry and David Bruyere (Stacey), Laurie Bruyere-Tyo (Joey), and proud great grandpa to two great grandchildren Madison Bruyere and Owen Tyo and by 7 step- grandchildren, France (Tom), Pierre, Angele (Joe), Jaime (Nick), Michelle (Rob), Justin, Alain and by 7 step-great grandchildren. Survived by one sister Leona Moeser (late Walter) of Ottawa and one brother Stanley Landry (late Elsie) of Toronto. Predeceased by his parents, Louis and Ethel (Wood) Landry, 2 brothers, James and Bill and 4 sisters, Ethel Moore, Norma Landry, Lois Halden and Marion Manary. Friends will be received at the M. John Sullivan Funeral Home, 341 Pitt Street (across from city hall) on Tuesday from 2 - 4pm and 7 - 9pm and on Wednesday from 9:30 - 10:30am. Funeral Mass Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at St. Columban's Catholic Church at 11am followed by cremation. Rite of Committal, Notre Dame Columbarium at a later date. As expressions of sympathy memorial donations to the Kidney Foundation or the Heart & Stroke Foundation would be appreciated by the family. All members if the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 297 are requested to assemble at the M. John Sullivan Funeral Home (across from city hall) on Tuesday at 7 p.m. for Legion Tribute to our late Comrade Earl Landry. Dress Beret and Medals.

Former police chief passes away

Cornwall Standard Freeholder

06 November 2007

Posted By Trevor Pritchard

CORNWALL

By most accounts - including those of the people he arrested - Earl Landry was a firm but fair police officer.

"Most people who got (in trouble) with the police, one way or another, needed some support," recalled his son, Brian. "He was always willing to cutthem a break."

Landry, who served as Cornwall's police chief from 1974 to 1984 and spearheaded a number of community policing initiatives in the city, died Saturday from kidney failure. He was 83.

Born in Quyon, Que., Landry arrived in Cornwall during World War II with the military police corps. He joined the Cornwall Police Service after the war ended as a fourth-class constable and moved swiftly through the ranks, becoming police chief in 1974.

Over his 10-year tenure he strove to both modernize the force's communications system and develop community policing in Cornwall.

The police service already had a traffic safety program where officers would visit schools and give safety talks to students, but Landry took that initiative one step further, said Staff Sgt. Garry Derochie.

"He saw the benefit of expanding that to involve crime prevention and community-based policing programs," said Derochie, who served as the first community services officer under Landry.

While there was likely some resistance when Landry introduced the concept - it meant taking an officer off street patrol - crime prevention is now standard practice for the city's officers, said Derochie.

"You're supposed to prevent crime," he said. "Not investigate crime after it happens."

Three decades ago, the police chief was "pretty much a god" and didn't have the same day-to-day relationship with officers that exists in police forces today, said Insp. D'Arcy Dupuis. But Landry was always courteous and respectful, said Dupuis, who joined the force in 1977 under Landry's tenure and will serve as one of his six pallbearers during a police funeral Wednesday.

"You'd talk to people in the community and he was one of those people who was truly admired," said Dupuis.

On the homefront, Landry was a quiet, reserved man who rarely talked about his police work, said his son. One of his passions was woodworking - a hobby he continued until suffering a stroke a few years after he retired.

It was his outlet, said Brian, for a job that could swing from being mundane to exhilarating at the drop of a hat.

"If he had a second calling, it would have been as a fine wood craftsman,"he said. "That was his way of dealing with the events of the day."

Landry's funeral will take place at 11 a.m. at St. Columban's Catholic Church.

(With files from Kevin Lajoie)