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Illness Is Fatal To Chief Lewis Fohey In Hospital - Police Head Joined Department In 1920; Given Leave In May Because Of Health

Illness Is Fatal To Chief Lewis Fohey In Hospital - Police Head Joined Department In 1920; Given Leave In May Because Of Health image
Parent Issue
Day
20
Month
July
Year
1939
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Donated by the Ann Arbor News. © The Ann Arbor News.
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Illness Takes Chief Fohey

Chief Lewis W. Fohey of the Ann Arbor police department, who died early this morning in St. Joseph’s Mercy Hospital, will he buried Monday in St. Patrick’s cemetery, Northfield, following funeral services at 10 o'clock in St. Thomas Catholic church here.

Illness Is Fatal To Chief Lewis Fohey In Local Hospital

Police Head Joined Department In 1920; Given Leave In May Because Of Health

Lewis W. Fohey, chief of the Ann Arbor police department since 1933, died at 1:20 this morning in St. Joseph’s Mercy Hospital, where he had been a patient since July 4.

His death came seven weeks after he started an indefinite leave of absence ordered by the city police commission because of his health. He was 56 years old.

Mayor Walter C. Sadler announced today the city hall would be closed Saturday in respect to the memory of Chief Fohey.

Chief Fohey came up from the ranks to head the city’s police department with which he started as a patrolman on July 7, 1920. He became a sergeant April 10, 1924, and was appointed chief of the department in July, 1933, following the death of Chief Thomas O’Brien.

During his approximately 20 years of service, Chief Fohey saw the police department develop from a force of 13 or 14 men to its present membership of 36 men, aided by modern equipment inclusive of a radio system. He saw the change over to three complete shifts and the transfer of administrative jurisdiction of the department from the mayor’s office to a police commission.

Kept Long Hours

He had few interests outside of his work and he spent long hours at his duties, particularly during the six-year period he served as chief of police. Even during the intervals of the past few years when he was under a physician’s care, he insisted upon staying on the job frequently as long as 12 hours a day.

The action to relieve Chief Fohey of his duties until he fully recovered his health was taken May 29 by the police commission, which, at the same time, named Sgt. Norman Cook acting chief. The indefinite leave for Chief Fohey carried with it half pay.

Chief Fohey joined the police force a month after Jacob B. Andres, present Washtenaw county sheriff. Both appointments were made by the late Ernst M. Wurster, then mayor.

Sheriff Andres became a night sergeant and it was he who recommended Fohey for the job when he submitted his resignation in 1924. The night sergeant worked from 7 p.m. to 4 a.m.. with the department using a skeleton force for the three-hour period before the next shift reported at 7 a.m.

Fohey continued as a sergeant when the three eight-hour shifts were organized in about 1928. He was night sergeant for some time afterward, until the shifts were rotated so that the three sergeants took turns on the three shifts.

Formerly Mail Carrier

Chief Fohey was a mail carrier at Whitmore Lake before he became a member of the police department.

He was born Sept. 14, 1882 in Northfield, a son of the late Thomas and Mary Lawton Fohey of Northfield township.

He was a member of the Elks and of St. Thomas Catholic church.

Surviving are: Two brothers, Frank of Santa Monica, Calif., and Edward of Whitmore Lake; three sisters, Mrs. Anna O’Brien of Whitmore Lake, Mrs. Emma Prochnow and Mrs. Edna Wiesmyer of this city; and several nephews and nieces. Another brother, William J. Fohey of Ann Arbor, died last April. Chief Fohey resided at the home of his sister, Mrs. Wiesmyer at 712 E. Kingsley St.

Funeral services will be held at 10 o’clock Monday morning in St. Thomas Catholic church with Rev. John M. Lynch, assistant pastor, singing the mass, and Rev. Thomas R. Carey, pastor, preaching the sermon.

Burial In Northfield

Burial will be in St. Patrick’s cemetery, Northfield. The Rosary will be recited at 8 o’clock Sunday night at the Muehlig funeral chapel where friends may call.

Active pallbearers will be nephews of the late chief: George Fohey of Clio, Clarence Fohey and Gerald Wiesmyer of Detroit; Howard O’Brien and Orville Fohey of Whitmore Lake; and Derwood Prochnow of Ann Arbor.

Honorary pallbearers will be city and county officials, members of the police commission and police department, members of the city fire department, and members of the sheriff’s department.