One of my Northern Bay next-door neighbors from the old days passed away recently. Here's his obit from the Telegram and an article from the Carbonear Compass: NOONAN, Vincent - Passed peacefully away on Sunday, November 9, 2003, in the presence of his loving family, Vincent Noonan, retired R.N.C. Sgt., last living member of the original Mounted Police, in his 85th year. He was predeceased by his son Bernard. He leaves to mourn his loving wife of 56 years, Anne (Delaney), his children, Wayne (Patricia), Jacqueline Noonan-Walsh, Elizabeth Ann Dalton (Bob), Patricia Roberts (Gary); his grandchildren Rene Loder, Deanne Noonan, Dwayne Noonan, Stacy Noonan, John, Jason and Julie Walsh, Brad Dalton and Catherine Despatie; his great-grandchildren Jordan, Hannah, Jasmyn, Zachery and Madeline; his brother Mike (Mary) in Gander and a large circle of relatives and friends. Funeral arrangements entrusted to Hopkin`s Funeral Home, Northern Bay, Conception Bay with visitation from 2-4 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. Monday, November 10, 2003. Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 2 p.m. Wednesday, November 12, 2003 at Corpus Christi Church, Northern Bay. Interment to follow. November 10, 2003 FROM THE COMPASS OF 18-11-03: Constabulary pays tribute to original member of mounted unit By DANETTE DOOLEY Special to The Compass Vincent Noonan knew earlier this year his time was running out. But the 85-year-old veteran police officer was overwhelmed to have lived long enough to see the longstanding Royal Newfoundland Constabulary tradition of policing on horseback return as an integral part of the force. “It was heartbreaking to see them go because no police force is complete without a mounted division,” Mr. Noonan said. If I was well I could tell you a lot more stories. Time is running out with me anyway. But I’m delighted to see they’re bringing back the horses. I’ll definitely be in there to see it.” Time indeed was running out on Mr. Noonan. The retired RNC sergeant passed away on November 9 at the age of 85, but not before making a trip to RNC headquarters in St. John’s last month to meet the two new horses and their trainers, Constables George Horan and Jim Penton. The Northern Bay man was the last surviving member of the force’s original mounted unit. During his 25-year career with the Constabulary, Mr. Noonan also served as a member of the Criminal Investigation Division, (CID) until he retired in 1967. During an interview last March, Mr. Noonan recalled he’d policed on horseback for almost seven years during the late 1940s and early 1950s. He was delighted to see the tradition being resurrected. “Your horse was your life,” he said from his home in Northern Bay, adding that his horse was Ula-May. In those days constabulary officers were required to work seven days a week. Time off was only permitted during an officer’s annual vacation. But when you loved your job as much as this officer did, working seven days a week wasn’t a problem. There were six men on horses at the time, he said, going on to explain how one officer would go to work early, clean out the stalls, give the horses a drink and feed them their breakfast which consisted of a half gallon of oats. And, by that time, the rest of us would be in and you’d spend maybe an hour or an hour and a half cleaning and grooming your horse. Cleaning his hoofs, washing his legs and everything else. And you’d give him about a quarter of oats for his dinner and the same thing for his tea in the evening at five o’ clock and you’d give him what you’d judge to be 14 pounds of hay.” Mr. Noonan’s son Wayne is a media relations officer with the RCMP in Nova Scotia. Policing was a topic of conversation at the Noonan household when Wayne’s father was with the RNC and also after he’d retired. We started talking about community-based policing, when he learned a little bit about it even years after he retired. It was Dad’s philosophy that if you wanted good community based-policing, you needed to bring the horses back. He said you need your officers to stop and talk to the people in your community.” Mr. Noonan was obviously talking from experience. His voice brightened when he started talking about how he’d spent many an afternoon policing on Ula-May in the 1940s and 1950s in Mount Pearl, Bowring Park, Victoria Park, Quidi Vidi, Long Pond and Bannerman Park. We used to patrol these parks and they’d be blocked with children. We’d park by the gate in Bowring Park for awhile and the children would run around the horse and run in between his legs and that animal knew he shouldn’t move.” Family tradition Wayne Noonan is proud to say that he’s followed in his father’s footsteps by choosing a policing career. My father was a proud member of the RNC. His colleagues at the RNC had a great influence on me. They instilled such great principles in me like compassion, integrity and honesty. And Dad’s brother, my Uncle Pat, was in the RCMP and the tradition continues. Uncle Pat’s grandson, David Loder, just graduated from Regina and he’s an RCMP member in the Marystown detachment right now. Wayne’s brother Bernard was a retired member of the Ontario Provincial Police. Bernard passed away last year from cancer. That really took a lot out of our father. Our brother died of cancer but he kept it to himself. So it was very sudden for us. In hindsight, I guess he didn’t want to put our parents through difficult times at their age. He was a very brave man.” Wayne Noonan says his father would have been proud to have so many police officers attend his funeral, especially the RNC’s newly resurrected Mounted Unit that paid him a final farewell tribute by providing an escort during his funeral recession last Wednesday. Mounted police officers, Constables George Horan and Jim Penton led the funeral procession from Hopkins Funeral Home in Northern Bay, along the C.B.N. Highway to Corpus Christi R.C. Church for Mr. Noonan’s funeral mass. A bunch of Dad’s colleagues from the RNC, carried Dad out. And to have the Mounted Division there gave such comfort to our mother and my three sisters and me. It was such a fine sendoff for my father and something our family will never forget. “I really tip my hat to Chief Deering and everybody else who supported us during this difficult time.” RNC deputy chief Joe Browne was one of the officers who attended Mr. Noonan’ s funeral. The deputy chief met Mr. Noonan for the first time in March of 2002 when he was a special guest at the RNC Officers Mess Dinner. I was captivated by the stories he told of his time with the Force. He recounted with obvious pride and delight, the days that he spent as a mounted policeman.” In summing up what Mr. Noonan’s passing has meant to the RNC, the deputy chief’s thoughts are of comments made following the disbandment of the RNC Mounted Unit in 1951 when it was said that ‘lustre was taken away from the Newfoundland Constabulary.’ Having had the pleasure of spending some time with Vince Noonan, I can say with the deepest of respect that when he passed away on Sunday, November 9, lustre was once again taken from the Constabulary. We will remember him fondly,” deputy chief Browne said.

Hi Matt; Many thanks for the well deserved posting on behalf of Mr. Noonan. I sincerely enjoyed the reading of his tribute. I believe that Mr. Noonan was quite an "HERO" to say the least. I do not wish to disrespect our R.N.C. and R.C.M.P. but there's not too many "Authoritative" persons can fill this Gentleman's shoes, not according to the very touching Tribute that the Newspaper "Carbonear Compass" so graciously bestowed upon it's readers. It is truly a beautiful tribute for one of Newfoundland and Labrador's Patriotic Servants. May he rest in peace. Warm Regards Evelyn ----- Original Message ----- From: "Matt Mullaly" <2matt@rogers.com> To: <NFLD-LAB-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Tuesday, December 09, 2003 6:28 PM Subject: [NFLD-LAB] Vincent Noonan's obit + article > One of my Northern Bay next-door neighbors from the old days passed away > recently. Here's his obit from the Telegram and an article from the > Carbonear Compass: > > > > NOONAN, Vincent - Passed peacefully away on Sunday, November 9, 2003, in the > presence of his loving family, Vincent Noonan, retired R.N.C. Sgt., last > living member of the original Mounted Police, in his 85th year. He was > predeceased by his son Bernard. He leaves to mourn his loving wife of 56 > years, Anne (Delaney), his children, Wayne (Patricia), Jacqueline > Noonan-Walsh, Elizabeth Ann Dalton (Bob), Patricia Roberts (Gary); his > grandchildren Rene Loder, Deanne Noonan, Dwayne Noonan, Stacy Noonan, John, > Jason and Julie Walsh, Brad Dalton and Catherine Despatie; his > great-grandchildren Jordan, Hannah, Jasmyn, Zachery and Madeline; his > brother Mike (Mary) in Gander and a large circle of relatives and friends. > Funeral arrangements entrusted to Hopkin`s Funeral Home, Northern Bay, > Conception Bay with visitation from 2-4 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. Monday, November > 10, 2003. Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 2 p.m. Wednesday, November 12, > 2003 at Corpus Christi Church, Northern Bay. Interment to follow. > November 10, 2003 > > > FROM THE COMPASS OF 18-11-03: > > > > Constabulary pays tribute to original member of mounted unit > > By DANETTE DOOLEY > Special to The Compass > > Vincent Noonan knew earlier this year his time was running out. > > But the 85-year-old veteran police officer was overwhelmed to have lived > long enough to see the longstanding Royal Newfoundland Constabulary > tradition of policing on horseback return as an integral part of the force. > > “It was heartbreaking to see them go because no police force is complete > without a mounted division,” Mr. Noonan said. > > If I was well I could tell you a lot more stories. Time is running out with > me anyway. But I’m delighted to see they’re bringing back the horses. I’ ll > definitely be in there to see it.” > > Time indeed was running out on Mr. Noonan. The retired RNC sergeant passed > away on November 9 at the age of 85, but not before making a trip to RNC > headquarters in St. John’s last month to meet the two new horses and their > trainers, Constables George Horan and Jim Penton. > > The Northern Bay man was the last surviving member of the force’s original > mounted unit. During his 25-year career with the Constabulary, Mr. Noonan > also served as a member of the Criminal Investigation Division, (CID) until > he retired in 1967. > > During an interview last March, Mr. Noonan recalled he’d policed on > horseback for almost seven years during the late 1940s and early 1950s. He > was delighted to see the tradition being resurrected. > > “Your horse was your life,” he said from his home in Northern Bay, adding > that his horse was Ula-May. > > In those days constabulary officers were required to work seven days a week. > Time off was only permitted during an officer’s annual vacation. > > But when you loved your job as much as this officer did, working seven days > a week wasn’t a problem. There were six men on horses at the time, he said, > going on to explain how one officer would go to work early, clean out the > stalls, give the horses a drink and feed them their breakfast which > consisted of a half gallon of oats. > > And, by that time, the rest of us would be in and you’d spend maybe an hour > or an hour and a half cleaning and grooming your horse. Cleaning his hoofs, > washing his legs and everything else. And you’d give him about a quarter of > oats for his dinner and the same thing for his tea in the evening at five o’ > clock and you’d give him what you’d judge to be 14 pounds of hay.” > > Mr. Noonan’s son Wayne is a media relations officer with the RCMP in Nova > Scotia. Policing was a topic of conversation at the Noonan household when > Wayne’s father was with the RNC and also after he’d retired. > > We started talking about community-based policing, when he learned a little > bit about it even years after he retired. It was Dad’s philosophy that if > you wanted good community based-policing, you needed to bring the horses > back. He said you need your officers to stop and talk to the people in your > community.” > > Mr. Noonan was obviously talking from experience. His voice brightened when > he started talking about how he’d spent many an afternoon policing on > Ula-May in the 1940s and 1950s in Mount Pearl, Bowring Park, Victoria Park, > Quidi Vidi, Long Pond and Bannerman Park. > > We used to patrol these parks and they’d be blocked with children. We’d park > by the gate in Bowring Park for awhile and the children would run around the > horse and run in between his legs and that animal knew he shouldn’t move.” > > Family tradition > Wayne Noonan is proud to say that he’s followed in his father’s footsteps by > choosing a policing career. > > My father was a proud member of the RNC. His colleagues at the RNC had a > great influence on me. They instilled such great principles in me like > compassion, integrity and honesty. And Dad’s brother, my Uncle Pat, was in > the RCMP and the tradition continues. Uncle Pat’s grandson, David Loder, > just graduated from Regina and he’s an RCMP member in the Marystown > detachment right now. > > Wayne’s brother Bernard was a retired member of the Ontario Provincial > Police. Bernard passed away last year from cancer. > > That really took a lot out of our father. Our brother died of cancer but he > kept it to himself. So it was very sudden for us. In hindsight, I guess he > didn’t want to put our parents through difficult times at their age. He was > a very brave man.” > > Wayne Noonan says his father would have been proud to have so many police > officers attend his funeral, especially the RNC’s newly resurrected Mounted > Unit that paid him a final farewell tribute by providing an escort during > his funeral recession last Wednesday. > > Mounted police officers, Constables George Horan and Jim Penton led the > funeral procession from Hopkins Funeral Home in Northern Bay, along the > C.B.N. Highway to Corpus Christi R.C. Church for Mr. Noonan’s funeral mass. > > A bunch of Dad’s colleagues from the RNC, carried Dad out. And to have the > Mounted Division there gave such comfort to our mother and my three sisters > and me. It was such a fine sendoff for my father and something our family > will never forget. > > “I really tip my hat to Chief Deering and everybody else who supported us > during this difficult time.” > > RNC deputy chief Joe Browne was one of the officers who attended Mr. Noonan’ > s funeral. > > The deputy chief met Mr. Noonan for the first time in March of 2002 when he > was a special guest at the RNC Officers Mess Dinner. > > I was captivated by the stories he told of his time with the Force. He > recounted with obvious pride and delight, the days that he spent as a > mounted policeman.” > > In summing up what Mr. Noonan’s passing has meant to the RNC, the deputy > chief’s thoughts are of comments made following the disbandment of the RNC > Mounted Unit in 1951 when it was said that ‘lustre was taken away from the > Newfoundland Constabulary.’ > > Having had the pleasure of spending some time with Vince Noonan, I can say > with the deepest of respect that when he passed away on Sunday, November 9, > lustre was once again taken from the Constabulary. We will remember him > fondly,” deputy chief Browne said. > > > > ==== NFLD-LAB Mailing List ==== > Message Boards For All Areas of Newfoundland > http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec?htx=board&r=rw&p=localities.northam.canada.newfoundland > > >