John Gillette, South Pasadena Police Department, retired, died Sunday, April 16, 2000, at his home in Alhambra.

Jack attended Oneonta School, South Pasadena Junior High and graduated from SPHS in 1941.  He joined the Army in 1942, serving on active duty until 1946.  He remained in the Army Reserve and retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in 1966.  He joined the police department in 1946, two days after he was discharged from the Army.

One of his early duties was to ride Pacific Electric Railway's San Marino School Special.  The unique "school bus" train picked up junior and senior high school students in San Marino on Huntington Drive in San Marino and dropped them off in front of the junior high and then returned them in the afternoon.

Upon retiring from the police department in 1978, he worked as head of security at San Antonio Community Hospital, as head of safety and security at Hospital of the Good Samaritan until 1984.  He was a devoted member of St. James Episcopal Church for seven years and was layreader for many years.  He was a member of South Pasadena Masonic Lodge 290, Pasadena "Y's Men's" Club and South Pasadena Oneonta Club.  He was a past commander of the South Pasadena American Legion Post 40.

Jack is survived by his wife of nearly 51 years, Beverly Gillette, son John (Catherine) and son Craig (Theresa) and five grandchildren.