ADRIAN — There’s a saying attributed to the Chinese philosopher Confucius: “Wherever you go, go with all your heart.”

It’s a fitting way to describe the life of Richard Leo Germond, who died on April 30 at the age of 90. He put his heart into everything he did, according to his colleagues and friends.

Germond is perhaps best known in the community as “Sheriff Germond,” a role he held with pride for more than three decades. He wrapped up his law enforcement career in 2001 after 44 years of service, 36 of them as sheriff of Lenawee County.

Born and raised in Adrian, Germond earned a bachelor’s degree in police administration and criminal justice from Michigan State University in 1958 — by then, he had already been working at the sheriff’s ofice for two years. 

In 1964, he was appointed to fill the unexpired term of his predecessor, Charles Stites. That same year, at just 29 years old, Germond was elected sheriff and went on to serve 36 years in the role, the longest of any sheriff in the county and the state.

During his long tenure, he served as president of both the Michigan Sheriffs’ Association and the National Sheriffs’ Association. He was also a life member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the Lenawee County Fire Chiefs Association, and several other law enforcement organizations.

Morenci police chief Mike Creswell, who retired from the sheriff’s office in 2014 after 32 years of service, described Germond as “a true professional.”

“He had a lot of integrity,” Creswell said. “He was great to work for.”

Creswell, whose law enforcement career began when Germond hired him in 1981, said Germond was a great mentor and role model from day one.

“I truly admired him,” Creswell said.

He added that there were very few people who didn’t enjoy working for Germond.

“He was just a super person, a great role model who commanded professionalism throughout the sheriff’s department,” he said.

Jack Welsh, Lenawee County sheriff from 2008 to 2019, started his career when Germond hired him as a 21-year-old deputy in 1973.

“It was the start of a very long history,” Welsh said. “He supported me when I ran for sheriff, and the night I won the election in 2008, he stood beside me — supporting me and proud of me.”

Germond was responsible for establishing the county’s 911 central dispatch system, as well as overseeing major improvements to the sheriff’s department facilities.

“He was always involved in some aspect of the community,” Welsh said. “He was an icon even after he retired.”

Germond was an active member of St. Joseph Catholic Church, where he directed the ushers for more than 50 years and sang in the choir alongside his wife, Carol. High school sweethearts, the couple married in 1957 and raised five daughters. 

Germond grew up in St. Mary of Good Counsel parish and moved to St. Joe’s after his marriage. The two parishes were merged to form Holy Family Parish in 2018 and the Rev.  Michael Newman, OSFS, arrived in 2019 as pastor. Newman praised Germond’s devotion to his Catholic faith and his family as well as his willingness to step up whenever there was a need.  Newman observed that for Germond, public service was a vocation.

“He didn’t just do public service — he lived it,” Newman said. “Just like his calling and vocation to be a husband to Carol, a father to his girls, grandfather and great-grandfather to many and, as sheriff, public servant to all of us here in Lenawee County. He truly modeled the commandment of Jesus who said, ‘I have not come to be served, but to serve.’ He was a kind, loving man, with a heart for service and he will be missed.”

Jim Philp, retired superintendent of the Lenawee Intermediate School District, called Germond “a person of impeccable character” with “a great sense of humor.”

“I have the utmost respect for him,” Philp said.

Philp worked with Germond at the sheriff’s office for a few summers as a marine officer. Later, in 2000, Germond was elected to the LISD Board of Education and remained an active trustee until his passing.

“When we were building the Center for a Sustainable Future in 2013, Dick was willing to listen and learn about it and the systems we were putting in place,” Philp said. “He was very supportive.”

In addition to his work with the LISD, Germond was a member of the Adrian Kiwanis Club for 56 years, serving as a past president and lieutenant governor for the Michigan District. He also served on the boards of ProMedica Bixby and Herrick hospitals for 30 years, as well as the Salvation Army board.

“He definitely was a pillar of the community, a servant of the community,” Philp said. “He had that kind of integrity. We are very fortunate to have had him as a resident of our county.”

Bronna Kahle, president and CEO of the Lenawee Community Foundation and a former state legislator, echoed that sentiment. “To know Dick was to respect and love him,” she said.

“As a former state legislator and now as president of the Lenawee Community Foundation, I’ve had the privilege of seeing firsthand how deeply Sheriff Dick Germond cared about this community,” Kahle said. “He always showed up — whether in uniform or simply as someone who wanted to help. For decades, Dick’s steady presence and quiet leadership made Lenawee a better place.”

Germond’s legacy continues through the Germond Scholarship Fund at the Lenawee Community Foundation. The fund supports Lenawee County students pursuing careers in health care — a field he deeply valued, Kahle said. The endowed scholarship has already awarded nearly $8,000 to local students and will continue to provide support in perpetuity.

“Sheriff Dick Germond served with heart,” Kahle said, “and we’re all better for it.”