Mike McManus

Winthrop residents were saddened this week to learn of the passing of former Police Chief Michael McManus last Thursday morning at the age of 80.

Mike McManus served the people of Winthrop for 38 years. He joined the Winthrop Police Department as a reserve officer on Oct. 27, 1966, and became a full-time officer two years later.

He was promoted to sergeant in 1983 and then to lieutenant in 1988. Mike served on two separate occasions as the Acting Chief, for six months in 1995 and then for another eight months in 1999 through March 13, 2000, before becoming the permanent Chief on December 26, 2000, a position he held until his retirement in 2004.

Both of Mike’s tenures as Acting Chief occurred during turbulent times for the Winthrop Police Dept., but despite being passed over for the chief’s position (unfairly so, in the view of many local residents), Mike eventually attained the position of permanent chief.

Mike brought stability to the local Police Dept. during his four-year  tenure as chief, laying the groundwork for the outstanding police force we have today under Chief Terence Delehanty.

Mike McManus was a Winthrop guy through-and-through. He was a straight shooter, a cop’s cop with a big heart who was tough but fair-minded.

He knew the town and our residents and always had the best interests of our community uppermost in everything he did.

He was well-respected not only in Winthrop, but throughout the Greater Boston area.

We know we join with all of our fellow residents in offering our condolences to his wife Fran, children Maureen Hill of Martha’s Vineyard, Paula McManus of Wellesley, Michael McManus of Winthrop, Deborah McManus of Hopkinton, Thomas McManus of Boston, Sheri DeSimone of Revere, Joseph Generazzo of Boston, and Kimberly MacElree of Winthrop, and the other members of his large and extended family.

May he rest in peace.