Thomas A. Quinn, 66, Former Avon Lake Police Chief

He was born January 13, 1938 in Cleveland and moved to Avon Lake from Olmsted Falls in 1950 and to Avon in 1972.

He was a 1956 graduate of Avon Lake High School where he was on the football and basketball teams and was later inducted into the Avon Lake Sports Hall of Fame as a member of the schools first eleven man football team.

He served in the Air Force from 1956 thru 1960 and in the Air Force Reserve from 1960 until 1962. He was stationed primarily in Germany in Intelligence Operations with the 7000th Support WG. He worked for 2 years at B.F. Goodrich, Avon Lake before joining the Avon Lake Police Department in 1963. He was promoted to Sergeant in 1967, Lieutenant in 1971, and became Chief on January 1, 1978 at the age of 39. While serving as Chief, the city established its K-9 unit in 1979. He also served as President of Lorain County Chiefs Association, and retired in 1987. In his retirement he enjoyed restoring antique cars, and was considered an authority on early Camaro’s. He went to many antique auto shows and swap meets and was affectionately known as ‘’Avon Tom’’. Mr. Quinn was a member of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception Church, Avon; Catholic Big Brother; Western Cuyahoga County F.O.P. Lodge No.25; and the Irish Heritage Club, Avon Lake. He was also a member of St. Mary's Golf League and the Holy Name Society Bowling League.

In addition to golfing and bowling he enjoyed traveling and camping, and was a Cleveland Sports fan.

Tom is survived by his wife of 44 years, Janice (nee Long); two daughters, Connie Clover (Jesse) of Vermilion and Christine Bartholomew (Tim) of Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania; and a son, Thomas Quinn of Andover, Ohio; eight grandchildren, Jaime Day (husband Rickey), Amanda, Devon and Trevor Glover; Dylan and Chase Bartholomew and Allison and Daniel Quinn; one great-grandson, Aiden Day; a brother, Patrick Quinn (Connie) of Canton, Michigan; and nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Hugh and Mae (nee Musil) Quinn, a sister, Kathleen Adams and an infant brother, Dennis.

Friends may call at the BUSCH FUNERAL HOME, 163 Avon-Belden Rd. Avon Lake Thursday December 2 from 2-4 and 7-9pm. Services will be held at the funeral home Friday December 3 at 11 a.m. Rev. Bill Shomo, a chaplain of the Hospice of the Western Reserve, will officiate.

Burial will follow at Elmhurst Park Cemetery, Avon. Police honors will be observed. Memorials may be forwarded to the Hospice of the Western Reserve, 300 Fast 85th Street, Cleveland, OH 44119; Ireland Cancer Center, do Department of Development, University Hospitals of Cleveland, 11100 Euclid Ave. Cleveland, OH 44106-9971 or Our Lady of the Wayside, 38135 Colorado Ave. Avon, OH 44011.

For more information, to view an online memorial or to send a condolence, go to www.buschfuneral.com.