John P. "Jack" Ambrogio

john ambrogio

March 25, 1934 ~ June 19, 2021

Born in: New Haven, CT
Resided in: Hamden, CT

John P. “Jack” Ambrogio, Ret. Chief, HPD, age 87, beloved husband of Maureen O’Connor Ambrogio, passed away at Yale-New Haven Hospital on June 19, 2021. John was born on March 25, 1934 to the late Rose DelGrego Ambrogio and William Ambrogio. He grew up in Hamden and graduated from Hamden High School. After serving in the United States Army, he joined the Hamden Police Department in 1956. He was appointed Police Chief by Mayor Lucien DiMeo on September 5, 1974 and continued to serve until his retirement on October 7, 1998. Chief Ambrogio sought to improve the quality of the service of his organization. Recognizing the need for better communication with the public, he sought the help of Hamden Mental Health Services. Under the direction of Dr. Tom Reid, the officers took part in training sessions of crisis intervention. He then established a victim service unit. Chief Ambrogio encouraged the further education for the officers. He required psychological exams as part of hiring. He was immensely proud of the officers he served with. Chief Ambrogio served as a past president of the Connecticut Police Chiefs Association. John was a member of the Knights of Columbus, where he was a Fourth Degree Knight. He belonged to the Amity Club and enjoyed the Bocce Club.
He leaves to cherish his memory daughters Gayle Horan (Sean), Jacquelyn Bouvier (Edouard), Pamela Doolan (Robert), and Valerie Kammerer (Eric), and daughter in-law Sandra Ambrogio. He is also survived by his grandchildren, who gave him such joy; Jonathan and Noelle Bouvier, Alexandra and Melissa Doolan, Veronica Ambrogio Romee, William Kammerer, and Emily Horan, and two great-grandchildren Kisa and Dante Romee; his brother, Anthony “Pat” Ambrogio and his wife Rose, his brother in-law and great friend Nicholas Bauer and sister in-law Denise O’Connor Bauer; and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his son John Ambrogio, and brothers Alfred Waltermire and Robert Ambrogio.
Funeral will be from Beecher & Bennett Funeral Home, 2300 Whitney Avenue, Hamden, Thursday June 24th at 9:00 a.m. followed by his Mass of Christian Burial to be celebrated at 10:00 a.m. at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, Whitney Ave. Hamden. Friends may also visit with his family at the funeral home on Wednesday from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. Burial will be private. Contributions in Chief Ambrogio’s memory may be made to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105, www.stjude.org.

 

Services

Visitation: June 23, 2021 4:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Beecher & Bennett Funeral Service - Hamden
2300 Whitney Avenue
Hamden, CT 06518

203-288-0800

Mass of Christian Burial: June 24, 2021 10:00 am

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church
2819 Whitney Avenue
Hamden, CT 06518

203-248-0141

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Memories Timeline

Guestbook

  1. My sincere condolences to the family. Jack was a wonderful man and one of the best chief of police of Hamden.🙏

  2. So sorry for your loss and prayers to the family He was a great man always remember how kind he was to me and Ray DellaCamera

  3. Jack was a best friend for over 50 years..Glad we had our special times together! My prayers and deepest sympathy for his family.

  4. Chief was an exceptional man who was always there as a friend when needed. A true blue friend to me, and a loyal professional who was admired by many others in his chosen vocation of Law Enforcement. Chief was a larger-than-life figure who help guide, educate, and support fellow Police Officers throughout Connecticut. He will be very much missed. Goodbye, my old friend.

  5. My condolences to the family. My interactions with the Chief were few but his character and devotion to his job and the people he served gave a lasting impression. I had the pleasure of working with Maureen at providing needed services for troubled children and like her husband, Maureen displayed the rare quality of serving others as if they were your own.

  6. My condolences to the Ambrogio family. The Chief was my training officer when I went on the HPD 50 years ago. He was a good Chief and leader. RIP 🙏

  7. Many years ago I was employed by the Town of Hamden and the second day on the job as I walked through the parking lot, Chief Ambrogio drove by, lowered his window, and said ‘Hi Antoinette, good luck on the new job.’ I was shocked that he knew my name! I excitedly told my boss and she answered, “he probably knows you better than your mother.” My second interaction with the Chief happened years later. I bought a little house on the smallest street in Hamden–my house was the only house on the street, and suddenly there was lots of traffic during the night on the street parallel to my street with cars parking on my little street. I was concerned and called Chief Ambrogio. To make a long story short Chief Ambrogio assured me he would look into it, and eventually told me it was a house of prostitution and which was shut down by the police and my little street became peaceful again. I will never forget Police Chif ‘Jack’ Ambrogio. God bless his soul. My condolences to his family.

  8. My condolences to the Ambrogio family. A great chief. I was with the PD in 74. The chief was a great man and mentor. Peter J Brano

  9. I met Chief Ambrogio in 1979 during a job interview. He hired me. That hiring provided my family a livable income for the following 36 years.

    Thanks Chief.

    Rest in peace.

  10. Gayle – My deepest thoughts to you and your family at this time of grief and sadness. He was a great guy!

  11. I had the pleasure of not only meeting the Chief, but getting to know him as well. He was a wonderful man who served so proudly for the town of Hamden. Condolences to his entire family.

  12. Gayle,
    I’m so sorry for your family’s loss. Over the years I have heard stories and anecdotes of your dad and mom plus siblings and other relatives. Our family is sympathetic, we would like to help in any way. Jack was a very special spouse, uncle, father, grandfather and friend.
    God Bless your family,
    Mike, Karol, Sarah and Garrett

  13. My deepest condolence to the Ambrogio family.The Chief was a mentor to a lot of cops .He will be missed .

  14. Sending my sincerest of condolences to the Ambrogio family. I will keep Jack and family in my Thoughts and Prayers during this difficult period.

    Lieutenant David J. D’Agostino (Ret. YNHH-PD)

  15. My condolences to the Ambrogio family. I always had great respect for the Chief, and enjoyed speaking with him. He hired me as a dispatcher in 1986 giving me a good job and an education. Thank you, God bless, RIP.

  16. Heartfelt sympathy to the Ambrogio family. Working in the Hamden community for decades, Jack was a good and kind man, who made a difference and left this world in a better place by his hard work, dedication and example. Rest in peace.

  17. My thoughts and prayers are with Valerie and all of the family, a lifetime of service to our country and community from Chief Ambrogio is one of the greatest losses we will ever know in our time on this earth.

    Jack’s passing will forever be remembered by his unwavering commitment and lifelong pursuit of honor and integrity to the department and his beloved family. He will always be cherished by those who called him chief, father, a friend and husband.


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