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Former
police officer a beloved presence on force
Contra Costa Times (Walnut Creek, California)
Former
Pleasant Hill police officer George Chilimidos, known as "Chillie"
throughout the community he served for 24 years, died Saturday from
complications related to Alzheimer's disease. He was 75.
Born in Berkeley on July 20, 1930, Chilimidos lived in the Bay Area
his whole life, with the exception of the four years he spent in
the U.S. Air Force in the 1950s.
Described by friends and loved ones as an affable guy who could
light up a room with his charm, Chilimidos was the first officer
assigned to Pleasant Hill, literally given badge No. 1, when the
police department formed in 1970.
"Chillie was a wonderful character. ... I remember him as a
very funny, warm human being who really cared about Pleasant Hill
and cared about people," said Pleasant Hill Mayor Terri Williamson.
"He was just loved by everybody."
Chilimidos served as a crime prevention officer, working actively
with children through DARE, an anti-drug program
in schools. He retired in 1994, and was diagnosed with Alzheimer's
in 1995.
Chilimidos also served as an inspiration to his three sons, two
of whom have gone on to serve in law enforcement, said his son,
David Chilimidos.
"There were people that had been cited or arrested by him that
lauded him.
... I remember riding along with him as a teen trying to figure
out what I wanted to do," said David Chilimidos, a police lieutenant
with the Concord Police Department. His younger brother, Daryl Chilimidos,
is a deputy sheriff with Contra Costa County.
As a teenager during a ridealong with his father, David Chilimidos
recalled one routine traffic stop. After his father wrote up the
ticket, he started to walk back to his car when the ticketed motorist
got out of his car.
"And as I watched, he met my dad halfway between the cars and
he was shaking his hand, he was just pumping it. And I knew he gave
him a ticket," David Chilimidos said. "He would say, 'You
just treat people fairly,' and I would imagine that whatever happened
then he was doing just that. He would treat people like he wanted
to be treated; he personified that golden rule."
"He was a smart man, full of moxie and street sense,"
David Chilimidos said.
"He helped people and that's a damn good legacy for all of
us."
George Chilimidos is survived by his wife of 49 years, Janice; their
sons David, Darren and Daryl; daughters-in-law Nancy, Maria and
Lisa; and grandchildren Anastasia, Alexandria, Stephen, Dominic,
Sofia and Christopher.
Services will be held at 10:30 a.m. May 20 at St. Mark's Lutheran
Church, 3051 Putnam Blvd., in Pleasant Hill.
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