Obituary: John E. Toomey

Courtesy of Solomine, Landergan and Richardson Funeral Home.

Mr. John E. Toomey, retired Swampscott Police Chief and attorney, 68 years of Nahant, died Friday, Feb. 1, 2013 at Massachusetts General Hospital. He was the former husband of the late Pamela M. (Carlson) Toomey.

John was born in Boston, the son of the late Joseph P. and Florence E. (Lyons) Toomey. He was raised in Charlestown attended St. Mary's School in Charlestown, Boston English , Billerica High School and graduated from Lynn English High School. John received his Associates and Bachelors Degrees in Criminal Justice from Northeastern University. He received his masters in Criminal Justice from Anna Maria College and his Juris Doctorate from Suffolk Law in 1988. He lived in Swampscott many years and in Nahant the past 18 years.

John was an Air Force Reserve veteran of the Vietnam War, serving from 1965 to 1969 with the 901st Combat Support Squadron. John was a member of Post 57 American Legion in Swampscott. He was a member of the Executive Council of the Essex Bar Association, a member of the Board of Trustees of Marion Court College; He was secretary for the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association. John was a member of the Ancient Order of Hibernians in America and Lifetime member of the Italian American Club in Lynn. He was a Kentucky Colonel and John served as treasurer for Swampscott Babe Ruth Baseball.

John served the Town of Swampscott, Police Department for 30 years. He was a Reserve Officer Sept. 30, 1971 and was appointed permanent in November of that year. He rose through the ranks appointed Lieutenant in 1979, Captain in 1982 and was made Acting Chief in 1988.

He became Chief in 1991 and John retired in May 2, 2001 to pursue his career in law, at the time of his death he was an associate with the firm of Rudolph Friedman LLP in Boston. 

John is survived by his son James M. Toomey and his companion , Deborah Noyes of Peabody and his daughter Kathleen A Toomey of Lynn., his companion Deborah Gaudet-O'Connell of Swampscott and her children Jason Burbridge of Lynn, Sean O'Connell and his wife Jillian of Charlestown, his brothers and sisters, Joseph P. Toomey, Jr. of Lynn, Mary Gay and her husband Philip of Fremont, NH, Patricia R. Tyler and her husband Jimmy of Ossipee, NH, James M. Toomey and his wife Lisa of Lynn, Deborah A. Toomey of Lynn, Walter Toomey and his wife Yvonne of Lowell and Dorothy Mulcahey and her husband Curtis of Lynn. He also leaves several nieces and nephews. He is the brother of the late William F. and Edward Toomey. 

His funeral will be held on Wednesday Feb. 6, 2013 at 10 AM from the SOLIMINE, LANDERGAN AND RICHARDSON FUNERAL HOME, 67 Ocean Street (Rte 1A) Lynn followed by a funeral mass in St. John the Evangelist Church, Swampscott at 11 AM. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited. Cremation in Harmony Grove Crematory.

Visiting hours are on Tuesday from 4 PM to 8 PM. Donations may be made to the Old Charlestown Schoolboys Association, P.O. Box 290375, Charlestown, MA 02129-0207.