Donald Germain, retired police chief, dies

Longtime public servant, 84, recalled as ‘a cop’s cop’

DERBY — As a member of the Navy’s Seabees, Donald Germain Sr. was part of American history in the building of a research station on the South Pole.

As Derby’s 10th police chief, Germain was part of Derby history when was instrumental in getting support and funding for the current police headquarters on Water Street.

On Saturday, his 84th birthday, Germain passed into history himself.

“Chief Germain was a real nice guy, a cop’s cop,” said Mayor Richard Dziekan, a retired Hamden police officer, on hearing of Germain’s death. “Whenever I campaigned, I made sure to stop on his porch and just sit and talk with him.”

Germain was hired in Derby as a supernumerary officer in 1961 and five years later became a regular police officer. Promotions quickly followed to sergeant in 1973, detective sergeant in 1977 and lieutenant in 1983. He became the city’s tenth police chief on Aug. 7, 1987, and served in that position until 1992.

The new police department was dedicated on June 21, 1990.

“Our old facility was grossly inadequate,” said current Chief Gerald Narowski, then a young officer. “We were housed in a small portion of the basement in the old City Hall, which is now the Board of Education headquarters and the Community Center on Fifth Street.”

Narowski, who has been chief since 2010, said the old building “hindered any strides we were making to professionalize the department.

“The new police facility was the cornerstone of modernizing our department and creating the professional organization we are today,” Narowski said. “In his short tenure as chief, I believe this was his shining moment and he knew how important it was for the organization.”

Germain was born in Bridgeport on Nov. 21, 1936, and was a Derby resident for most of his life.

He served in the U.S. Navy from May 3, 1954, to July 9, 1957. Part of that time, he was a member of the Navy’s Seabees and helped build the research station on the South Pole, which at that time was the least explored area of the earth.. The expedition began in November 1955 and continued to April 1956. The effort was filmed by Walt Disney Studios for the U.S. Navy.

After retiring in 1992 from the Derby Police Department, he enjoyed traveling including trips to casinos and an Alaskan cruise. His obituary said he loved woodworking, crafts and poetry and his wellgroomed beard brought him many offers to play Santa — “from both family and strangers alike and could often be seen wearing a Santa hat and donning red throughout the holiday season,” his obit read.

He spent much of his later years traveling with his longtime companion, Irene Cowen.

He was a member of the Catholic War Veterans, the American Legion and the Old Antarctic Explorer’s Association.

Because of COVID-19 restrictions, a Mass of Christian Burial in St. Mary Church and burial with full military honors in Mount

St. Peter Cemetery will be private.

Friends may leave condolences at www.adzimafh.com. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Germain’s name to the Alzheimer’s Association (alz.org/donate).

Germain