POLICE CHIEF "SHAMMY" DELUDE

At 6 feet 4" Leo L. Delude was a giant of a man. Like Martin D. Leach, baseball was the love of these two men! For decades these two men served the North Brookfield community well. DeLude as chief and Leach as principal.

In the North Brookfield community, one police officer was it: Shammy DeLude. He came to wearing a uniform in 1932 as Prohibition ended.He walked the beat and maybe a 1954 Chevrolet was the first cruiser in the community? There was a lock-up next to the police station on Summer Street.

Chief Delude worked closely with the schools. I recall this very tall man coming into Sister Lucina's class at St. Joseph School inviting us to travel to Worcester to see the Charity Circus. Better yet, Mr. Leach and Mr. DeLude treated us to attend major league games in Boston.. at Braves Field then Fenway.

Like Mr. Leach, Shammy was a big fan of one Connie Mack. In his later years, Shammy showed me two autographed baseballs by old Connie and the Babe! His brother Larry attested to the fact he was with his brother when these baseballs were signed.

Some may recall Shammy DeLude as the home plate umpire for NBHS games on the common.

Shammy retired from service to the town in 1968 then worked as a security guard at the Worcester Courthouse. Carole Ryback and son Francis are his children.

So much has changed since the days of the black Studebaker cruiser.

ROBERT LOUIS POTVIN
Box 11
West Brookfield, MA

P.S. Richard Johnson has different memories of the Chief!

MDL