Remembrance:

             MAPLE just received notice that member Michael Pavone Sr.  passed away peacefully on May 5, 2023, leaving behind his wife Sharon, his two children Mike Jr., and Alisha and his grandson Leo.  Mike was born and raised in Worcester MA and later moved to West Boylston.   He was a career law enforcement officer for 38 years in this Commonwealth.  He took his oath of office in 1973 and served with many agencies before retiring as a Massachusetts State Police Detective Lieutenant in 2011.   His law enforcement career was diverse and included patrol, special operations, training, supervision and it culminated with his service as a member of the Mass State Police Internal Affairs unit.  Mike earned his bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice at Westfield State University and his Masters at Western New England University.  After his retirement, Mike started his own consulting firm “Integrity Investigations and Consulting” specializing in assisting police departments with maintaining their internal integrity. His son has carried on his father’s commitment serving as a police officer as well.

I had the great honor and privilege of knowing Mike Pavone for over 25 years. He was an honorable and dedicated professional, who believed that policing should be done one way, with honor and integrity. He gave his entire adult life to this service in one capacity or another. I worked with him closely during his assignment in internal affairs with the Mass State Police. He was meticulous in the way that he conducted his investigations and his passion for justice both with regard to his professional responsibilities but also toward the interest of officers, who became the subject of his investigations was noteworthy. He was a tireless advocate of fairness for all. When Mike found out that MAPLE had organized, he was one of the first to throw in with this cause. In recent years he struggled courageously against cancer and I know that it was particularly difficult for him during the pandemic years. Yet, he always held out hope that both his health and the world would improve. His passing leaves us all in sorrow, but he would be the first to say, don’t dwell on it, there is work to be done, push forward. His life and dedication to policing, should serve as an inspiration to all of us and as a reminder that our cause is not just a temporal one, one that would be simply nice to achieve. It is far more than that, as the spirits of Mike and so many of our other good members, who have passed on, most assuredly remind us. God bless Mike Pavone. May he rest in peace. His life on this earth was a job well done.

Dennis Galvin
President
Massachusetts Association
for Professional Law Enforcement