‘His legacy is carried on’: London, Ont. police honours passing of first Black officer

London, Ont., police has announced the passing of Lewis ‘Bud’ Coray, the force’s first Black officer.

Coray joined in 1951 and served for over 30 years.

“He was a great man,” said Ozzie Nethersole, the vice president of the London Police Association. “His legacy is carried on.”

Nethersole says as a Black police officer, himself, Coray was a role model for him and other officers.

“When you have someone to look up to and you have a role model, it does make a difference,” he said. “He’s an inspiration to many of us. He wanted to be a police officer and I wanted to be a police officer (so) I followed down that path.”

Coray passed away on Jan. 12, 2023 at the age of 97.

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London police’s annual Lewis Coray Award for Youth recognizes trailblazers in the community and continues to celebrate Coray’s contribution to policing.

Visitations will be held at Westview Funeral Chapel on Mon. Jan. 16 between 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. as well as 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

A funeral service is scheduled for Tues. Jan. 17.