SAN LEANDRO — Robert J.P. Maginnis, who dedicated his life to his community and mentorship to others through his law enforcement work and teaching, is remembered by his family as an “Irishman through and through.”
His willingness to help those in need both physically and emotionally was recalled after his unexpected death May 3 at the age of 80.
“First and foremost, he was just such an honorable man with a true feeling of being supportive and [contributing] to his community,” his wife, Arleen Maginnis, said. “Everything he did, he did with his whole heart and dedication.”
Maginnis was born in Oakland, raised in Piedmont and attended St. Ignatius College Preparatory in San Francisco. After high school, he received a degree in criminology from UC Berkeley.
He was a member of the San Leandro Police Department for 32 years, starting as a reserve officer in 1967 after spending three years serving in the Army during the Vietnam War. He rose to the position of police chief, a position he had for 13 years until his retirement in 1999.
“I am grief-stricken by the sudden loss of our sage, leader and embodiment of professionalism, retired San Leandro Police Chief Bob Maginnis,” current San Leandro Police Chief Abdul Pridgen said in a statement.
“Chief Maginnis was loved and respected by all,” Pridgen said. “Words are insufficient to adequately convey the impact he has had on our department, city and county. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to bask in his grace and wisdom.”
San Leandro dedicated its police administration building to Maginnis in March, and he and his family attended the ceremony. Mayor Pauline Cutter said he was happy to see the building was being named for him.
“He was never one to seek out the limelight, but you could tell he was just so proud and honored that he now has this building where he gave much of his life in his honor,” Cutter said.
Cutter remembers Maginnis as both an authority figure and a friend, noting that when the local Girls Inc. chapter was going to lose its headquarters, he helped secure a location for the nonprofit.
“He worked in the background, but just to make his community a better place, period,” Cutter said. “The legacy of Bob was that he tried to work with people.”
Maginnis was active in the San Leandro community and belonged to various organizations, including the San Leandro Rotary Club and the San Leandro Breakfast Club, and he served on the Chamber of Commerce board.
A couple of years before starting his career as a San Leandro police officer, he married Arleen, whom he met while in high school. They both went to Catholic schools and were part of their churches’ respective team clubs, a type of social group that held events.
Maginnis caught Arleen’s eye, and she asked her friend to set up an event with his club, after which they began dating. Their 57th wedding anniversary would have been this June.
“There’s going to be a big void in this community and certainly in his family’s life. He was just bigger than life to us,” Arleen Maginnis said.
She added that her husband was proud of his Irish roots and was happy later in his life to be able to travel to Ireland and visit with family members.
Following his retirement from the San Leandro Police Department, Maginnis was appointed an assistant sheriff for the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office. He retired from that position in 2006.
In addition to his work in law enforcement, Maginnis taught criminal justice at San Leandro High School, Chabot-Las Positas Community College District and Diablo Valley Community College, which will be his longest-lasting legacy, said Lt. Ray Kelly, public information officer for the sheriff’s office.
“He inspired a lot of young people to come into our profession,” Kelly said. “A lot of people became police officers because of Bob Maginnis.”
Kelly also noted that Maginnis was progressive with his approach to law enforcement as one of the first people to adopt the idea of community policing, in which departments proactively address conditions that can lead to crime. He created a patrol schedule that consistently assigned San Leandro police officers to certain areas so that residents could get to know their local officers.
“Just an extraordinary life and we’re saddened that he’s gone too soon, but just a remarkable life and we’ve got nothing but great things to say about [him],” Kelly said.
In addition to his wife Arleen, Maginnis is survived by a daughter, Anne Fox; a son, John Maginnis; and four grandchildren.
There will be a vigil service at 7 p.m. May 18 and a funeral Mass at 10:30 a.m. May 19. Both services will be at Church of the Assumption, located at 1100 Fulton Ave. in San Leandro.
Source: www.mercurynews.com