Larry Wolfe
Dun, da-DUN-dun! The story you’re about to read is true. Unlike the old TV show Dragnet, the names have not been changed to protect the innocent.
“This is the city—San Leandro, Calif. I carry a badge. My name’s Lemmon.” That could certainly be the lead-in for the life story of Greg Lemmon. But let’s start from the beginning. A native of Falmouth, Mass., Greg played soccer and basketball for the Falmouth Clippers until his high school sports career was cut short due to a severe case of Osgood-Schlatter disease (look it up!).
Greg then attended Cape Cod Community College for a year before he decided to escape the New England winters and follow his older brother to sunny California. He then earned an associate’s degree at Chabot College in Hayward, Calif. He also met his wife-to-be Dianne while there. They were married in 1990. Dianne and Greg have a son, Nick, and a daughter, Rachel. Nick lives in Mesa with his wife Natalie and son Zach, while Rachel is a senior attending Portland State.
While still a student at Chabot College, Greg was hired as a police officer by the San Leandro Police Department (SLPD). That led to a long, varied, and interesting career in law enforcement. While serving, to be eligible for higher level positions in the force, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in criminal justice from Union Institute and University. During his tenure with the SLPD, he served in many divisions and units as he rose from officer to sergeant to lieutenant and, finally, to captain. Assignments included being a long-term member of the SWAT team, three tours of duty as a detective, and a nine-year member of the Vice Squad where he was a plain-clothes undercover agent. He worked on all types of cases, including homicides, drug enforcement cases, and other serious felonies. Greg says that there was rarely a dull day, and he really enjoyed all aspects of his work.
In 2014, after 29 years with the SLPD, he had maxed out his pension level, so he decided to retire and do something else. But, you guessed it, he didn’t leave the profession. Instead, he joined the Alameda County Sheriff’s Department. There he worked as an investigator at the Santa Rita jail, collecting intelligence info relating to crimes and potential crimes inside the jail. After nearly seven years, he really retired and relocated to Sun Lakes.
Greg joined our softball program for the 2021-22 season and was a Top Ten hitter for average and Top Five in homeruns. After sitting out the 2022-23 season due to knee replacement surgery, he’s now back and has continued where he left off as one of the top players in the Sun Division. He
Greg Lemmon
’s also an avid golfer, playing three times weekly at the Ironwood and Oakwood Country Clubs. Additionally, you’ll find him frequently working out at the Fitness Center.
Those are the facts, ladies and gentlemen, just the facts.