Long and winding road for Lapierre
Denis Lapierre ready to retire after 31 years working for Woonsocket
WOONSOCKET – His heart’s been on Abbey Road since he was in grade school, but now his feet might get there, too.
After retiring from his longtime job as custodian at the Woonsocket Police Department Friday, Denis Lapierre’s schedule just got a lot more flexible. A lifelong Beatles fan and avid collector of the Fab Four’s memorabilia, Lapierre says the Beatles tour in England has long been on his bucket list.
Lapierre, 55, has worked for this city since November 1987, starting out as a laborer in the highway division. About 10 years ago, he switched over to general maintenance at Clinton Street police headquarters.
Unlike the gig at the highway division, where he was part of a team, working at the police department was more of a solo job. And it suited him.
“Over the years,” he says, “I didn’t really work with the police, but I always felt safe.”
Police Chief Thomas F. Oates III, Capt. Adam Remick, Capt. Todd Boisvert and Mayor Lisa Baldelli-Hunt on Friday joined other members of the WPD in a brief ceremony in the roll call room to recognize Lapierre and wish him well in the next chapter of his life. Also there was Rita Benoit, Lapierre’s significant other, who looked on proudly, taking photographs.
“You’re going to be missed,” said Oates. “You can always come back to visit.”
Baldelli-Hunt said Lapierre was always telling her how much he loved his job, but the physical nature of his duties was getting more challenging for him of late so he decided to call it a career.
Lapierre recently had three surgeries on his right knee, but the joint is still painful and he’s far from 100 percent. He walks with a noticeable limp and certain maneuvers – walking down a staircase, for example – are exceptionally difficult. Believe it or not, he says, ascending a staircase is easier for him than coming down. “It’s very tough,” he says. Over the years, Lapierre’s been profiled in numerous newspaper articles about his passion for all things Beatles. He’s been listening to the band and collecting all kind of Beatles memorabilia, from photographs and records to bobble-head Beatles dolls, since he was a youngster.
He’s especially heartened by the resurgence of vinyl records as a hot new trend in music. Suddenly, vinyl is in demand again and music lovers are buying turntables.
Despite his mobility issues, Lapierre says he might try to land some sort of job again that’s compatible with this abilities – possibly with the U.S. Postal Service. A North Smithfield resident, Lapierre says he applied for a position in Massachusetts and he’s “high up on the list.”
He doesn’t know if he’ll hear from the postal service, but he’s hopeful.
Lapierre says he applied for a job with the post office for the same reason he applied to the city many years ago.
“I always wanted to work for the government,” he said.
Benoit, a longtime real estate agent who still dabbles in the trade, spends most of her time these days lending a hand at soup kitchens, the animal control facility and the battered women’s shelter. She’s hoping Lapierre will have a little more time now to pitch in.
“And maybe we’ll get to take that trip to England,” she says.