Retired Windsor Locks Fire Chief Joseph LaPierre Dies

WINDSOR LOCKS, CT — Joseph LaPierre Jr., who served as chief of the Windsor Locks Volunteer Fire Department for five years after a lengthy tenure with the department, died Sunday. He was 77.

LaPierre began his firefighting career as a volunteer in his boyhood hometown of Warehouse Point before moving to Windsor Locks. He worked his way through the ranks before being appointed chief in 1987, a role he filled until retiring in 1992.

Several neighboring fire officials spoke highly of LaPierre in notes sent to Patch.

Warehouse Point Chief James Barton said, "I began my career as a Junior Firefighter with Warehouse Point, and Chief LaPierre was the assistant chief of Windsor Locks at the time. We would provide mutual aid to each other's departments. Chief LaPierre would always wire the lighting and the food booth for our annual department carnival. He was always a great guy and would do anything for anyone. As years went on, Joe became the chief of the Windsor Locks Fire Department. Warehouse Point and Windsor Locks worked together anytime a large incident would happen: house fires, major car accidents on the highway. Chief LaPierre would always be smiling. He was close friends with Tony DiMastrantonio, who passed in August last year. Chief LaPierre and Tony D were in different nursing homes during the Windsor Locks Fire Department's annual carnival last year. Chief LaPierre's son Joey called me and said that his father would be out for a visit and at the carnival on the Friday night of the carnival. I was able to get Tony released from the nursing home so they could visit. It was great to see them together reminiscing about the old days. Chief LaPierre was a great guy and I learned a lot from him; definitely a mentor in the fire service."

"Joe was always the type of person that you would gravitate towards to hear a good story of "the big one," North Thompsonville Chief Earl Provencher said. "No matter where I saw Joe, he was always with the love of his life, Betty, whom he is now united with again. Thoughts and prayers go out to his family and the members of the Windsor Locks Fire Department on the loss of one of the area's great fire department leaders."

LaPierrewas also a well-known electrician, working for several area companies before he and his wife Betty opened J. H. LaPierre Jr. & Sons Electrical Contractors in 1977. His legacy lives on, as his son Joey now runs the business.

Calling hours are scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 19 from 9 to 11 a.m. at St. Roberts Bellarmine Church, 52 South Elm St., Windsor Locks. A Mass of Christian Burial will immediately follow. His complete obituary, courtesy of Windsor Locks Funeral Home, may be read here.

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