January 16, 2009

Firm, Fair, Consistent

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Local residents took time to remember Village Justice William Redmond this week.

Redmond, who served as the Whitehall Village Justice since 1988, passed away on Sunday, Jan. 11.

“I’ve been here together with him since 1980,” said acting Village and Town Justice Richard Gordon, Jr. “You couldn’t ask for a better guy to work with.”

Gordon talked about traveling with Redmond to training seminars and time that they spent together at the court offices.

“We got a long very well and we were able to have a lot of consistency in the court house,” said Gordon. “He’ll be missed. He was always there and he has always done a good job. It was an honor to work with him for all of these years.”

Gordon said that Redmond was always fair with those in his courtroom and in life.

“He was always firm, fair and consistent,” said Gordon.

“As a judge he was excellent – always fair and consistent,” said Whitehall Village Police Sergeant Richard LaChapelle. “I have worked with Billy for probably 25 years. There would be days in my younger years where I would ask him why he let a case go because I thought I had a pretty good case, but as the years went on I understood more what he was doing and Billy always taught me.”

Village mayor Patricia Norton echoed the thoughts of Gordon and LaChapelle.

“He was always fair, compassionate and caring as a judge,” said Norton. “He dealt out justice as he saw it and was as fair as he could be to everyone involved.”

Norton also knew Redmond personally, as her daughter Michelle married Redmond’s son, Whitehall High School Athletic Director, Keith.

“Bill was a loving husband and was very caring grandfather and just loved his family,” said Norton. “He looked forward to going on vacationing with his family and spending as much time with them as possible and keeping everyone amused. He was quite the character.”

“He’s a cool dude and I got along with him good,” said Whitehall Village Trustee Kenneth Bartholomew, who also worked at the courthouse. “Last year, you would have never known on the bench or in the office that he was hurting. He was always having fun and doing his job.”

Redmond was a 1962 graduate of Whitehall Central School and worked as a brakeman on the Delaware and Hudson Railroad before serving as the Whitehall town and village justice.

Calling Hours were held on Tuesday, Jan. 13 from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. at Jillson Funeral Home, with the Mass of Christian Burial held on Wednesday, Jan. 14 at Our Lady of Hope Catholic Church.

In honor of Redmond, a scholarship fund has been set up in his name at the school. In lieu of flowers, the family suggested that donations to the fund be made to Whitehall Central School, Buckley Road, Whitehall, N.Y., 12887, care of the business department.