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John Joseph Wiegard, 53, Poughkeepsie Police Officer, Of East Fishkill

EAST FISHKILL, N.Y. – John Joseph Wiegard, a lifelong area resident of East Fishkill, died Thursday, July 21. He was 53.

Born May 24, 1963, in Poughkeepsie, he was a son of Dolores (Sanfilippo) Wiegard and Harald Wiegard.

He grew up in Wappingers Falls and was a 1981 graduate of John Jay High School. He worked with his father at Wiegard and Son Plumbing and Heating, and also worked as a steamfitter for the state Department of Corrections.

He was a 1990 graduate of Dutchess Community College's inaugural police academy. From 1990-96, he was a police officer for the Town of East Fishkill, where he served as a firearms instructor and was a K-9 officer with his partner, Gero.

From 1996-2016, he was a police officer for the Town of Poughkeepsie, where he served as acting sergeant. During his career, he was the recipient of many awards and commendations, including a Life Saving Award. After 26 years of service to our community, he retired July 20, 2016.

In 1988, he married Bonnie McHoul Wiegard who survives at home.

He also is survived by his wife; children, Megan Hodge and her husband, Colin, Kathryn Quimby and her husband, Cory and Jacob Wiegard, all of Hopewell Junction; grandchildren, Harper Hodge and Charlee and Miles Quimby; mother, Dolores Wiegard of Amenia; brothers, Harold and Kathleen Wiegard of Farmington, Conn. and Michael and Henry Pollinger-Wiegard of Amenia; father-in-law and mother-in-law, Douglas and Marikay McHoul of Hopewell Junction and Vieques, Puerto Rico; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Peter and Lori Cassidy, John and Heather Sulca, Karl and Mary Ann Menuau and Douglas and Stephanie McHoul.

One of his favorite duties as a police officer was walking the halls of Our Lady of Lourdes High School, where his children attended. Therefore, a scholarship has been established for aspiring students entering the law enforcement field.

Donations may be mailed to the Officer John Wiegard Scholarship Fund, c/o OLL, 131 Boardman Road, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601.

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