Tim Mifflin, well known for serving his community as both a police officer and through the Chatham Goodfellows, died Friday at age 63.
Mifflin enjoyed a 32-year career as a police officer rising up the ranks from constable to inspector when he retired from the Chatham-Kent Police Service on Dec. 30, 2012.
The officer also had a 30-year association with the Chatham Goodfellows, serving on the board of directors for 20 years, including as president. He was named Mr. Goodfellow in 2014.
In a previous interview with the Chatham Daily News on his retirement, Mifflin said he wanted to be a police officer because he’s an honorable profession, but one an officer needs to work hard to maintain in the public eye.
“Integrity, knowledge and courage, the same words that appear on the crest of the Ontario Police College, is something we have to strive for every day,” he said.
“I’ve always believed in order to be a police officer you have to be part of the community,” said Mifflin added.
Mifflin’s obituary states one of his proudest accomplishments in policing was being lead of the team that successfully implemented the BlackBerry project for the police service. He became known across Canada for this work, which included winning the BlackBerry Wireless Achievement Award in 2011.
Mifflin will be missed by many people, especially retired Chatham-Kent Police Service Chief Carl Herder, who said they enjoyed a “business and friendship relationship.”
Herder said as police officer, “Tim was certainly precise with everything he did. If he did something, he wanted it done right. Let’s not do it three times, let’s do it right the first time.”
He noted Mifflin also cared how people were treated.
“Tim and I have been good friends probably right from when he joined the department” Herder said, adding they had something in common with both having boys close in age who went to school together.
“They grew up together and so did we,” he said.
Their friendship grew closer in their retirement with Herder noting they met for morning coffee regularly at Maple City Bakery.
“My wife would say, ‘What do you and Tim talk about all the time?’
Herder laughed noting he would respond: “Ah, nothing. We just talk about the weather; we talk about our boys. . . and solving the world’s problems.”
Herder said it is going to be different not being able to meet his good friend for coffee.
Mifflin also left his mark on the Chatham Goodfellows, the volunteer organization that has run the ‘No Child Without a Christmas’ campaign for nearly seven decades.
Tim Haskell, a Goodfellows past president, said Mifflin “mentored me through my presidency, showed me how to do things and made me a better president.”
Now the media person for Goodfellows, Haskell also credits Mifflin for teaching him how to work with the media.
“I’ve learned everything I know from Tim, basically.”
When asked about Mifflin’s dedication to the Goodfellows, Haskell said, “He enjoyed helping people. I just think it’s in him, he’s always wanted to help people.”
Haskell said they had a father-son type of relationship, which included a lot of good-natured teasing, especially with Haskell being a die-hard Toronto Maple Leafs fan.
He laughed while recalling the text messages Mifflin would send if the Leafs lost, especially when they were eliminated from the playoffs.
“Hey Tim, how are you doing man? Are you going to be OK?” Haskell said was the type of text Mifflin would send him.
“I’m going to miss him,” Haskell said, adding he expresses his deepest condolences to the family.
Visitation will be held Friday, April 22 from 2-4 pm and 7-9 pm at Alexander & Houle Funeral Home, 245 Wellington St. W., in Chatham. A funeral service will be held in the chapel of the funeral home on Saturday, April 23, beginning at 1 pm