By Terry L. Hapney, Jr.
The Ironton Tribune

The community remembers a retired Ironton police chief, former Ohio State Highway Patrol officer, retired Marine Corps marksman, father, grandfather and friend who passed away June 19 at 81—during an event this Thursday evening.
William “Bill” Allen Garland served the city of Ironton for 28 years as a patrol officer, sergeant, captain and as chief from 2001-2005.
Jared Cassity, Garland’s son-in-law, said Garland was born in Pittsburgh and raised in Rochester, Pa., a suburb. He had several siblings—Terry, Marsha, Kevin and Rae.
“They grew up together and had a happy childhood,” Jared said.
Garland always had an interest in law enforcement. After high school, he enlisted in the Marine Corps in which he learned he was an excellent shot.
“The Marine Corps took notice,” Jared said. “They wanted him to help train other corpsmen. They put him on a rifle team. Bill won a list of awards and trophies for how good at shooting he was.”
Garland was so good, it’s ironic; it kept him from going to Vietnam.
“His strength was in training others how to be a good marksman,” Jared said. “That bothered him a little bit. He had some friends go over who never came home.”
After retiring from the Marines, Garland joined the Ohio State Highway Patrol in 1972.
“He hired on with Ohio, starting in Columbus,” Jared said. “The Ironton division is where they assigned him.”
Jared said Ironton had “a lot of things going for it.”
“Bill saw a better opportunity and a little better pay,” he said. “He decided to leave the Highway Patrol and come to work for Ironton.”
Garland spent a life dedicated to the city and protecting its people, Jared said. There was also a time when teenagers didn’t like Garland very much. It was back when they were in the cruise line every weekend; this tied up traffic in downtown Ironton.
“He is the one who installed the light at the corner,” Jared said. “When the light came on there was no more cruising.”
Mikki Cassity, Bill’s stepdaughter who refers to him as “Dad,” was in high school at the time.
“That ruined my weekends,” Mikki said with a laugh. “And my friends knowing it was my Dad who ruined our weekends—it wasn’t good!”
While Garland was known as a “firm but fair” law-enforcement officer—according to current Ironton Police Department Chief Dan Johnson—Mikki said he was “so loving, nurturing and caring” as a person.
“He was, as my Mom (the late Erma Garland) called him, a Teddy Bear,” Mikki said through a mix of tears and laughter. “He was so soft. He would probably not like me saying that. He was just a good man.”
Garland retired after his granddaughter Mykayla Cassity was born. Once she started school, he bought a book on cupcake decorating.
“He started making cupcakes and took them to her school,” Mikki said. “They were decorated beautifully.”
When granddaughter Mykenna Cassity came along, she also got Garland’s cupcakes for parties.
“They were his life,” Mikki said. “He was made to be a grandpa.”
“I loved him,” Mykayla said. “He was the most nurturing individual—especially with my interests.”
Mykenna said he taught her to love nature.
“I remember being out on the farm and we’d catch butterflies,” she said. “I’d be so excited.”
Becoming chief was a big deal to Garland.
“He started from the bottom,” Jared said. “He was proud of the police department.”
Garland was a sergeant when current Chief Johnson started at the IPD in 1995.
“He was my Captain,” Johnson said. “He knew his job well. There were no surprises in Bill Garland. You knew where you stood on any issue. In this line of work, that’s helpful.”
Johnson said Garland is “probably the best shooter I’ve seen in my entire life.” He said he had the “misfortune” of standing next to him at the firing range one day.
“While my bullet holes were all over the target, his was the size of a dime,” Johnson said. “That’s with an old revolver. I watched him make a smiley face one time from 30 yards with a revolver. Overall, he was a good guy.”