James H. Dodd Jr., 88, of Lord’s Point, Stonington, CT., formerly of Providence, R.I. passed away on Monday, November 18th in Stonington, with his loving wife of 61 years, Beverly, by his side. The son of James H. and Helen Goulding Dodd of Providence, Jim was a graduate of Bryant University and a veteran of the Korean War, serving on the aircraft carrier USS Bennington. Jim was proud of his father, who also served in the military, joining General Pershing’s Mounted Horse Command in Providence in 1916, at the age of 16, to search for Pancho Villa in Mexico, and was then dispatched to France by President Woodrow Wilson to fight in World War I.
Jim joined the U.S. Navy in 1951, where he was awarded three medals, and received an honorable discharge in 1955. He joined the Providence Police Department in 1955, where he served honorably for 23 years. While assigned to the Detective Division, he was promoted to Sergeant in the Uniformed Division, and was in the first group selected to serve in Colonel Howard Franklin’s newly formed “C” Squad, where he attained the rank of Lieutenant, and subsequently became Commanding Officer. Jim was then promoted to the rank of Captain and Commanding Officer of the Patrol and Traffic Bureaus, where he served proudly until the call came from then-Governor, J. Joseph Garrahy, to lead the newly formed Rhode Island Capitol Police Department. He was the first Chief of that department, with his oversight expanding to all State court houses at the request of Governor Garrahy, Chief Justice Joseph Bevilacqua, and RI State Police Colonel Walter Stone. Jim served as Chief for 25 years, before retiring in 2001.
Upon his retirement after 47 years of service, Jim was honored with many citations, including those from the U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. Senate, the U.S. Congress, the U.S. Treasury Department, the Rhode Island Supreme Court, and many more.
He was a proud member of the Providence Police Association, board member of the New England Chiefs of Police, the Rhode Island Police Chiefs (in which he served as President), the International Chiefs of Police, The Fraternal Order of Police, The Commissioned Police Officers of Rhode Island, The Society of The Friendly Sons of St. Patrick of South County, and the Stonington Portuguese Holy Ghost Society. An avid golfer, Jim was a member of the Stonington Country Club for 20 years, and a loyal member of “The Legends” since its inception.
In addition to his wife Beverly, Jim is survived by his children Steven and Marion Kyff Dodd of Stonington, Jon and Joan Pariseault Dodd of South Kingstown, R.I., Shelley Dodd Mancini of Stonington, and Peter Dodd of Narragansett, R.I. Most beloved grandchildren Spencer, Avery, Wyatt, Román, Sophie, Olivia, Abigail, Morgan, and Sattar. In addition to great grandchildren Legare and Oscar, he leaves sister Marilyn McGovern of Boca Raton, FL., formerly of Narragansett, and sister-in-law Marilyn Stillman of Stonington, as well as several nieces and nephews. Jim was also the brother of the late Dorothy Gaudet of Providence.
Burial will be private. Calling hours will be on Saturday, November 23, 2019 from 10AM to 12PM at the Mystic Funeral Home located on Route 1 in Mystic. If using GPS for the funeral home, please use: 51 Williams Avenue, Mystic, CT. A service will immediately follow the calling hours at noon at the funeral home. A reception will follow the service to which all friends, old and new, are invited to celebrate Jim’s wonderful life. In lieu of flowers, donations in Jim’s name may be made to St. Patrick Academy, 244 Smith Street, Providence, R.I.
