Leslie B. Menzies

GUILDHALL, VT - Leslie B. Menzies, 100, passed away peacefully December 22, 2013 at the Merrimack County Nursing Home in Boscawen surrounded by his family. Les was born in Manchester, NH on October 19, 1913 to William B. Menzies and Zella M. (Adams) Menzies. He received his education in the public schools of Manchester, Boise, Idaho, Goffstown, NH, and Concord, NH graduating from Concord High School in 1932. There he was a member of the Track & Field Teams and a member of the State Champion Cross Country teams in 1930 and 1931. While still in high school he joined the NH National Guard and served in the 197 th Coast Artillery Headquarters Battery. This unit saw service in the Amoskeag Mill riots in Manchester. He is best remembered for his boxing ability in the 1930's as undefeated Golden Glove and Diamond Belt Champion in the Light-Heavyweight Division. He joined the Concord, NH Police Department in April 1936 and in 1937 became the first Trooper to enlist in the newly created Department of State Police. He had a long and distinguished career of over 34 years with the State Police, retiring in 1972 with the rank of Lieutenant. In 1940 he became New Hampshire's first recipient of the Medal of Valor as a result of a shoot-out with a holdup murderer in Swanzey. In 1941 he was awarded the first Valor-Honor Bar by the New England Police Revolver League. Around 1950, with the Departments Backing, he set up a police training school in Henniker which was heavily attended by town and city police officers from central and southern NH. At various times he also served as Troop Commander of Troops C in Keene and Troop F in Twin Mountain. Promoted to Lieutenant in 1962 he was assigned to duty of setting up patrols on the newly created Interstate Highway System. He served as Firearms Instructor for 22 years and was the Riot & Crowd Control Instructor and saw action in the riots of Hampton Beach and Weirs Beach in the 1960's. He was also Captain of the State Police Pistol Team. After his retirement from the State Police he became Chief of Security for the NH State Legislature, retiring in 1983. He then moved from Hopkinton to Guildhall, Vermont in 1985, where he resided 37 years. He was a member of Harmony Lodge #38 F & AM of Hillsboro. He had been a member of the National rifle Association since 1938. Les was an avid hunter, fisherman and target shooter. He loved sailing and built many of his own sailboats. He and his wife Alice were members of the Winnipesaukee Yacht club for 30 years. He also was an avid motorcyclist, beginning in the late 1920's with a 1928 Harley-Davidson, and continued to ride into his 70's. He was predeceased by his wife Alice of 59 years in 2007. He is survived by a sister Alice Beardsley of Aurora, Colorado; a daughter, Shirley Stemska of Goffstown, NH; a son Douglas Menzies and his wife Rose of Groveton; a daughter Patricia Guay and her husband Stephen of Hopkinton; 8 grandchildren, Jay, Robert, Heather, Jennifer, Abigail, Aaron, Eric and Autumn and 10 great-grandchildren. Calling hours will be Saturday December 28 from 2:00 to 4:00 PM at the Bailey Funeral Home, 210 Main Street, Lancaster, NH. Burial will take place in the Spring at the Ridgwell Cemetery in Guildhall, VT. In Lieu of flowers, donations in Les' memory may be made to the NH Retired State Troopers Association, 206 Airport Road, Concord, NH 03301 or to the NRA - ILA, 11250 Waples Mill Road, Fairfax, VA 22030.

Leslie B. Menzies

October 19, 1913 - December 22, 2013