ADRIAN, Mich. — Retired Lenawee County Sheriff Richard Germond died yesterday at the age of 90.
Richard Germond joined the Sheriff’s Department at the age of 21, and was appointed as Sheriff in 1964.
He won re-election nine times, serving for a total of 36 years.
When he left law enforcement in 2000, he was the longest-serving Sheriff in Michigan, and the longest-serving Sheriff in Lenawee County, two records which still stand.
Germond went on to serve with the LISD Board of Education, spending several years as the board’s President. At the time of his death, he was serving as the board’s Vice President and Secretary. His 25-year tenure with the LISD was set to end in June.
A statement from the LISD referred to Germond as, “a dedicated advocate for students and a tireless public servant.”
Congressman Tim Walberg spoke fondly of Germond on the House floor last night, saying, “He’s a hero in every sense of the word and will be remembered as a model sheriff and a leader to many.”
Lenawee County Sheriff Troy Bevier told WLEN News that he would remember Germond for his sense of humor and contagious smile, saying, “Dick will be missed by all that knew him, especially by those of us at the Lenawee County Sheriff’s Office, both past and present.”
Funeral arrangements and an official obituary are pending at this time.