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Former Rockland Undersheriff Thomas J. Guthrie Dies

Thomas John Guthrie, the former Rockland County Undersheriff, died on Sunday, Nov. 12, at Nyack Hospital. He was 85.

Former Rockland Undersheriff Thomas Guthrie

Former Rockland Undersheriff Thomas Guthrie

Photo Credit: Rockland County Sheriff's Office

Guthrie, who lived in Haverstraw, was born in the Bronx on Dec. 6, 1931, to Thomas and Delia (Bridget White) of Co. Clare, Liscannor, Ireland and attended St. Luke's Grammar School and graduated from Cardinal Hayes High School in Washington Heights. 

He married Catherine Purtell on July 5, 1952, at St. Luke's Church in the Bronx, and then served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. 

Guthrie began his 25-year career with the New York City Police Department and rose to the rank of inspector. In 1966, Tom and his family moved to Tappan. After retiring from the NYPD, he served as traffic commissioner for the City of New York for several years. Afterwards, he became the Undersheriff of the Rockland County Sheriff's Department. He retired at the age of 80 after 32 years of service with the Rockland Co. Sheriffs Department. 

He was a devout Catholic and was a parishioner of the Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Church in Tappan.

Guthrie was predeceased by his wife Catherine who died in 2006, and his son Kevin who died in 1993.

He is survived by his children, Theresa Guthrie of Allentown, Penn.; Patricia Novicki (Steve) of Rockledge, Fla.; Thomas Guthrie (Rita) of Whitehall, Penn.;, Maureen Guthrie (Ageo) of Saratoga Springs; his nephew Thomas Purtell of the Bronx and his niece Ellen Purtell-Costanzo (John) of Chatham, N.J.; his grandchildren, Benjamin (Sheena), Daniel (Amanda) and Delia Guthrie, Brian (Emily) and Sean Novicki and Robert and Grace Costanzo. He is also survived by his great-granddaughters, Beatrice and Rebecca Guthrie and will also be survived by another great-granddaughter in February of 2018. He was also predeceased by his brother-in-law Thomas Purtell and his wife Mary.

Visiting hours will be Wednesday and Thursday from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. at the Moritz Funeral Home, 98 Route 303 South, in Tappan. A Funeral Mass will be held Friday at 10 a.m. at the Our Lady of Sacred Heart Church in Tappan with burial to follow at Tappan Cemetery.  

Donations can be made to the Mounted Police Foundation of Rockland County, c/o the Rockland County Sheriff's Department, 55 New Hempstead Road, New City, NY 10956.

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