Omer Tromblay

Omer T. Tromblay, Jr., 78, of Concord died peacefully with family members by his side on October 7, 2010, at the Merrimack County Nursing Home in Boscawen.

He was born in Concord, NH, on December 10, 1931, the son of Omer (Sr.) and Emogene (Cass) Tromblay. He was raised and educated in Concord.

Mr. Tromblay proudly served with the Concord (NH) Police Department during the 1960s and 70s, from which he retired as detective lieutenant. As father of five children in various grades of the Concord school system during this period, Omer Tromblay was well-known among the baby boomer set during his career as a Concord policeman. His children consider his time as a policeman and then detective as the proudest days of his life. His son Dan recalls many great memories hanging around the old Warren St. station, including time spent as a teenager listening to police radio chatter during the ‘late shift’ when his dad was on desk duty.

Omer Tromblay rose from patrolman to police detective, and retired as detective lieutenant. Notable moments in his career include serving as security detail driver for Richard M. Nixon during the 1968 presidential primary campaign in NH, and, in 1969, assisting in the apprehension of Charles Manson gang member Linda Kasabian. Kasabian was transported by Tromblay and a fellow officer from her home in southwest NH to Concord where she was formally arrested and charged as an accessory to murder. Kasabian would go on to become the prosecution’s primary witness in the Sharon Tate murder trial of Charles Manson and his partner ‘Tex’ Watson.

Tromblay was an expert marksman, and won a number of state pistol championships during his career as a Concord policeman. He was a boxer, and was a NH state Golden Gloves champion (welterweight division) in the early 1950s. He enjoyed tennis, and was a past member of the Bow Brook Tennis Club in Concord. He also enjoyed golf.

Omer Tromblay was an avid Red Sox and Patriots fan, and was thrilled to see both teams win world championships in his lifetime. At his passing he was wearing a Red Sox t-shirt.

He is survived by his former wife Marion Alley of Concord and their five children: his son Daniel Tromblay and daughter-in-law Kathi (Chicago, IL), and daughters Candace Tromblay (Concord), Kimberly Tromblay (Concord), Nanette Tromblay (Albuquerque, NM), and Jennifer Gagnon and son-in-law Rick (Tampa, FL). He is also survived by his sister Cynthia Parkinson (Concord); nine grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and his niece Lynn (Parkinson) West, nephews Bill Parkinson and Rob Parkinson, and several cousins.

A memorial service will be held at a later date at the convenience of the family. Donations may be made in his memory to the Concord Police Patrolman’s Association (CPPA), PO Box 981, Concord, NH 03301.