Town Marshal Rodney Fenwick retires after 29 years at Bainbridge
BAINBRIDGE -- After 29 years of working to keep the Town of Bainbridge safe, longtime Marshal Rodney Fenwick will put in his the last official day of work on Tuesday.
"I've always tried to look out for my community," Fenwick told the Banner Graphic following a retirement reception Saturday evening that drew more than 100 guests to the Bainbridge Community Building even though the guest of honor admitted organizers almost had to force him to come.
Those 29 years with the Bainbridge department and 34 "and some change" in law enforcement overall, represent "a lot of hard work, a lot trying to keep the town safe as best you can," he said.
The Bainbridge department, represented by Officers Mike Downing, Jeff Modlin and new Town Marshal Ronnie Campbell, presented Fenwick with a plaque at the outset of the retirement reception. Putnam County Sheriff Scott Stockton, joined by deputies Matt Biggs, Riley Houghton and Robert Soilleux, followed suit.
"Rodney was quintessential town marshal," Sheriff Stockton said, noting that Fenwick took the job to heart, wanting to "know everything that was going on in his town."
Fenwick, who will turn 65 this year, took that a step further.
"You heard what the sheriff said about me wanting to know everything that went on," the retiring marshal said. "I demanded to know everything that went on in town," he clarified.
"Some people thought I was too hard," he said, rationalizing that you can't please everybody, "and some thought I wasn't hard enough.
"It's a hard job and there's not a lot of blessings in it. But overall it was a good experience."
Fenwick said he didn't start out to be a police officer. But former Sheriff Gerry Hoffa "saw something in me," he said, and others like Pop Stevens, Paul Thompson and Russ Evans gave him a chance originally to come in as town marshal.
"It all started with Gerry, and it pretty well went from there," Fenwick said.
The job "becomes part of your life, part of your heart," the retiring marshal said. "The town is in your heart."
The duties now belong to Town Marshal Campbell, who technically took over on Jan. 20. Fenwick said his last 10 days were administrative in nature.
He took a late-night call the other night and informed an acquaintance he would need to talk to the new marshal. "He said, 'How do I do that?" Fenwick said. "'I said, 'Call 9-1-1.'"
In leaving the police ranks, Fenwick will return to his roots in speed shops and machine shops, reopening PRP Race Shop in the old fire station in about week.
"I'll do a few engines, build a few parts and be gone when I want to be gone," he suggested, noting that wife Kathlene will also retire in about 18 months, leaving the Fenwicks time to travel and enjoy life.
Fenwick said he was very humbled by the attention Saturday evening.
"I was shocked and pleased by the turnout," he said as retirement awaits and his law enforcement career is in the rearview mirror. "I've got nothing not to be pleased about.
"I'm happy ... I'm ready."