LEYDEN — Passion was never in short supply for Leyden Police Detective Lt. James “Jim” Hansmann, whether it be for his job, his family, his two German shepherds, BMWs or perhaps his greatest passion of all, skydiving.
“He was passionate about basically everything he did,” remembered Vincent Fabi of Sunderland, a Leyden police patrolman who worked with Hansmann for over a year.
Daniel Galvis, Leyden police chief, said Hansmann went parachuting whenever possible, in the evenings, on weekends. He completed around 5,000 jumps.
With Hansmann having broke his leg in a bad landing two years ago, Galvis said, the two discussed the what-ifs. What if something went wrong, Galvis asked?
“He said ‘If that’s the way I go, no regrets,’” Galvis said.
Doing what he loved, Hansmann, 62, of West Springfield, died in a parachuting accident on June 11 that occurred at Ellington Airport in Connecticut.
“We’re going to miss (Jim) terribly and it’s going to take us a lot to get over it,” said Jeffrey Stebbins of Leyden, a friend of Hansmann.
Hansmann began working with the Leyden Police Department in 2003, Galvis said, with the two meeting through a mutual friend and Galvis recognizing his potential.
One case Hansmann solved involved a series of mail thefts involving checks seven or eight years ago, Galvis said. Hansmann reviewed video footage from local banks where the checks had been cashed to identify a suspect, then got a search warrant for the individual’s house, finding piles of stolen mail and checks.
In another instance six or seven years ago, Galvis said, someone broke into several Leyden homes. Going off a vague description of the car, Leyden Police Capt. Gilda Galvis found the car at Greenfield’s Big Y and called Hansmann. Through a search of the car, Hansmann was able to find some of the stolen items and solve the case.
“He was just an invaluable asset,” Daniel Galvis said.
As a detective, Leyden police officers agreed Hansmann was often an unknown figure in town.
“A lot of the townspeople didn’t even know about him,” said Tina Riddell, a Leyden police sergeant who worked with Hansmann for eight years. “Only when there were criminal activities did he get involved.”
For Fabi, Hansmann was like a mentor, helping to introduce him to the department’s procedures.
“He would always be willing to work with the younger guys like me when I first came on, bring me up to speed,” Fabi said. “He was always willing to lend a hand and go above and beyond … That’s what I liked about him the best.”
Being a Leyden detective was an enjoyable job for Hansmann, Gilda Galvis said, so enjoyable he’d often put his time sheets on the backburner.
“I’d say ‘Jim, I need your hours, you’ve put in a lot of hours,’” said Gilda Galvis, who knew Hansmann for 14 years. “He’d just go ‘Yeah, yeah, yeah.’”
Outside of work, Fabi said he and Hansmann enjoyed regularly meeting at Starbucks. Fabi appreciated Hansmann’s sense of humor, with Riddell agreeing he was always happy, with a memorable smile.
“Jim just seemed to be the type of guy that could get along with everybody,” Stebbins said.
Even while Stebbins’ son Colton was going through a difficult time, Hansmann offered invaluable guidance.
“I think he did my son a lot of good, did our family a lot of good,” Stebbins said.
In honor of Hansmann and his service to Leyden, the Selectboard has decided to hold a remembrance ceremony sometime this fall.
“His sudden death has left us all in shock, and out of respect for his family, we will have a dedication of his service,” Selectman Jeffrey Neipp wrote in a statement from the Selectboard.
Following funeral services in Springfield Saturday, June 24, Hansmann’s obituary reads, family members plan to honor him with one more jump, scattering his ashes by parachute.
To view Hansmann’s obituary, visit http://bit.ly/2sWDy0N.