Former Port Moody police chief Len McCabe, who served on the force from 1959 to 1987, passed away on Friday just shy of his 88th birthday.
Born in Ireland on May 11, 1925, McCabe became an officer in the Royal Ulster Constabulary from 1949 to 1953, when the family emigrated to Canada. He served with the Edmonton Police Service from 1953 to 1956 before moving to B.C.
McCabe settled in Port Moody and joined the police force here in 1959, rising through the ranks until he was appointed chief in 1969.
"He was the only one to ever rise through the ranks and become chief there," said Doug Macdonell, McCabe's son-in-law and a former police officer.
One of the most significant points in McCabe's career came in 1976, when Donald Hay was caught coming out of a trap door in the floor of his garage; below the trap door was a dungeon and 13-year-old Abby Drover, who he had kept imprisoned for six months.
"It affected him a lot," Macdonell said of the Drover case. "Going down into the dungeon to see where Hay had held her, to see the degradation and the filth he kept her in for so long. And especially at the time, she was the exact same age as his daughter. After that, he used to drive her to school."
Having been part of the family for the past 25 years, Macdonell described McCabe as "the greatest grandfather."
"I credit Len so much with the fact that the family is such a close family," he said. "He was a big deal to all the grandchildren, and myself as well. I went to him with the big decisions in my life."
And while his relaxed Irish nature never had McCabe sweating the small stuff, Macdonell said, it was a different story for those who ran afoul of the law.
"Port Moody was a very safe place for people who stayed on the right side of the law but if one of those people stepped on the wrong side, Port Moody was renowned in those days for its adherence to law and order."
McCabe leaves behind his wife of 59 years, Marlene, as well as five children and 12 grandchildren.
The public is welcome to attend McCabe's funeral on Friday, May 10, at 2 p.m. at the Calvary Baptist Church (1635 Regan Ave., Coquitlam). In lieu of flowers, donations to Crossroads Hospice are welcome.
