Lieutenant James J. Geraghty of the New Hampshire State Police passed away surrounded by his loving family on February 27, 2016 after fighting an unyielding battle against cancer. Lt. Geraghty leaves behind his beloved wife Valerie of 30 years, a son Jimmy (25) of Bedford, daughters Colleen (24), Katie (22), and Erin (20), his mother Grace (Cunningham) Geraghty of Bedford, six brothers Michael of Nashua, NH; Johnnie (deceased); Jeff of Concord, MA and his wife Jean (Davis); Tom of Weddington, NC and his wife Sheri (Strong); Kevin of Bridgewater, MA and his wife Karen (Boucher); and Brian of Nashua, NH and his wife Katie (Archiprete), and a sister, Kathy Henry of Groton, MA, and her husband Jay, brothers-in-law Donald Collette and his wife Chris (Simard), and Paul Collette Jr, (deceased) and many nieces and nephews and godchildren who he loved very much.
Geraghty, the son of the late Michael E. Geraghty and Grace Geraghty, was born in Boston, MA and raised in Tewksbury, MA. He graduated from St. John’s Preparatory School in Danvers, MA and also attended the University of Lowell. He met his wife as a teenager while working at Friendly’s in the former Methuen Mall, and they were married in Derry, NH in August of 1986.
Geraghty served his country in the United States Army from 1984 to 1989. He attended Basic Training, Advanced Individual Training, and Airborne School at Ft. Benning, GA. After his training was complete, he was stationed at Ft. Polk, LA as a member of the Fifth Infantry Division (Mechanized) (aka “the Red Diamond”). While he was stationed at Ft. Polk, his unit participated in REFORGER, the REturn of FORces to GERmany, which was a multinational operation involving troops from NATO that also marked the 40th Anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy. He worked as part of a crew operating M106 track-mounted mortars (107mm mortars), which he claimed “was probably where I lost most of my hearing”.
Later in his military career, Geraghty served as a member of the 172nd Infantry Brigade of the Arctic Light Division, which later became the 6th Infantry Division, in Ft. Richardson, AK. He attended the Northern Warfare Training Center and operated 81mm and 60 mm mortars. Geraghty was honorably discharged from the Army in 1989 with the rank of Sergeant.
After completing his military service, Geraghty returned to New Hampshire and began a law enforcement career that would serve the citizens of the Granite State for nearly a quarter century. After graduating from the 96th Police Academy in 1992, Geraghty joined the police department in the town of Hudson, NH. He served that community with distinction from 1991 until 1995, when he was accepted as a Trooper into the New Hampshire State Police.
As a State Trooper, Geraghty patrolled with Troop C and Troop A until 1997, when he joined the Narcotics Investigation Unit. He served in the NIU until 2006 and his time with that unit included two and a half years working High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HITDA) program, a Federal drug task force.
In May 2006, Geraghty was promoted to Sergeant and accepted assignment to Troop B working overnight shifts. In 2008, Geraghty was promoted to Detective Sergeant and headed the State Police’s Major Crime Unit. He was promoted to Lieutenant and served the State until his illness forced his retirement in 2015. In 2015, he was recognized with a New Hampshire Congressional Law Enforcement Award for Career Service, received the State of New Hampshire Department of Safety Director’s Award, and was presented a New England State Police Administrators Conference Award.
Geraghty had an exceptional career that earned him the respect and admiration of many of his brothers and sisters in the law enforcement community, and he loved to tell some of the remarkable and funny stories from his days protecting and serving. However, he would be the first to tell you that his family was his greatest adventure. He deeply loved his wife Valerie and was a devoted father to his children. He was very humble about his own accomplishments but never hesitated to brag about his children’s latest achievements to anyone who would listen. Those who served with him note that his mantra to the end was “Family First”.
As his children grew, he gave much of his free time to coaching Pop Warner and girl’s lacrosse. As they got older, he cheerfully worked many an extra detail to provide for their college educations. His children knew that he was always there for them, no matter the hour or where he was located.
Geraghty was happiest when he was able to spend time with his family. He loved their annual vacations in Wells, ME. He enjoyed many simple things in life like cruising in the family’s Camaro convertible, obsessive housecleaning, the occasional Manhattan, the pleasures of an honorably obtained package of Chuckles, and a neatly made bed.
He is dearly missed by family and friends.
Calling hours were held on Thursday, March 3, 2016 from 4 – 8pm in the Peabody Funeral Homes and Crematorium, 290 Mammoth Road, Londonderry. A Mass of Christian burial was celebrated on Friday, March 4, 2016 at 10:00am in St. Elizabeth Seton, 190 Meetinghouse Rd, Bedford, NH. Burial followed in St. Joseph Cemetery, Bedford. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Lt. James J. Geraghty Scholarship Fund, c/o Granite State Credit Union, 311 Sheep Davis Rd, Concord, NH 03301.