Patrolman Remembered For Dedication, Demeanor

By DAVID A. FONSECA
The Bourne Police Department mourned the loss of one of its own this week.
Bourne Police Officer Phillip M. Hanly, 47, of Sandwich Road died unexpectedly Sunday morning while staying with his two young sons at a family cabin in Plymouth.
Lieutenant Richard E. Tavares said that the exact cause of Officer Hanly’s death has not been officially determined.
He said that the officer was “the picture of health.”
“It’s a solemn day today,” said Chief Earl V. Baldwin on Monday after news of Officer Hanly’s death spread throughout the department. “He was well-liked, and there’s a shock value involved.”
Born in Quincy to Beverly Murray Hanley and Albert Graham Hanly, he graduated from Braintree High School in 1979 and went on to attend Northeastern University.
Before joining the  Bourne Police Department in 2000, Officer Hanly was the assistant director of security at Copley Place in Boston.
In 2007, the Bourne Police Department awarded Officer Hanly with its Officer of the Year award.
He was also a gymnastics coach at Corrigan’s Gym in Rockland and a volunteer for the Special Olympics.
Around the station, Officer Hanly was known for his unwavering smile. Those who worked alongside him said that Officer Hanly would be remembered for his dedication and cheerfulness.
“Not one person he came in contact with had a negative word to say about him,” Lieutenant Tavares said. “And, I never heard him say a bad word about anybody else.”
Former police chief and current Selectman John A. Ford said he would frequently receive letters from people in town who had come in contact with Officer Hanly, praising the patrolman’s work.
Mr. Ford said he even received compliment-filled letters from those who had been arrested by Officer Hanly.
“No matter what call we sent him on he could diffuse a situation faster than anybody,” Mr. Ford said.
Officer Hanly was the kind of officer who accepted challenges, Mr. Ford said. No matter what the manner of call, he responded dutifully.
“He was so polite,” Chief Ford remembered. “No matter what you asked him to do, you knew he would do it well.”
Officer Hanly had strong ties to the village of Sagamore, where he lived with his wife, Tammy Bonenberger Hanly, and his two sons, William Albert and Christopher Stephen.
“He lived two houses away from where I grew up [in Sagamore],” Lieutenant Tavares said. “He used to always tell me, ‘Don’t worry about your mother, I’m looking after the neighborhood.”
Lieutenant Tavares said that Officer Hanly had made into personal priorities the rash of vandalism in Sagamore Beach and the theft of catalytic converters from the Sagamore Commuter Lot, and had worked diligently toward finding those responsible for the crimes.
“He will be missed greatly, not only by the Bourne Police Department, but also the residents of Sagamore,” he said. “He knew almost everyone in the village by their first name.”
Officer Hanly is also survived by his two brothers, Stephen Hanly and Christopher Hanly; his two sisters, Beverly J. Hanly and Alison B. Hanly; a nephew and two nieces; and a great-niece Addison.
Visitation will be from 4 until 8 PM on Sunday at Nickerson-Bourne Funeral Home, 40 MacArthur Boulevard.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Monday at 10 AM at Saint Margaret’s Church on Main Street in Buzzards Bay.