A reserved man, William C.B. "Bill" Henry rarely spoke in depth about his experiences over two decades with the Kennedy police department and a stint in the Air Force during the early years of the Vietnam War. But he always expressed pride in serving and protecting his country and community, family and colleagues said.

"He loved being a police officer," said Riann Henry, his daughter. "He loved being able to help people."

Mr. Henry rose from the rank of patrolman to sergeant to deputy chief to chief of police in Kennedy. An illness forced him to retire in 2002.

On Monday, Mr. Henry died at Allegheny General Hospital because of complications from pneumonia. He was 69.

Mr. Henry was born and grew up in Kennedy and attended Stowe High School, where he played on the football team. His father, Brooks Henry, was the township's tax collector for several decades.

Mr. Henry attended Marietta College in Ohio for one year, but he dropped out to enlist in the Air Force in 1959 at the rank of basic airman. He was then sent to Vietnam, at a time when U.S. military forces there were serving primarily in advisory roles.

He left the military in 1962 and went to work for US Airways as a mechanic, his daughter said.

In 1979, he became a police officer in his hometown. He was selected as the township's police chief in the mid-1990s.

"I worked with him for a good 10 years," said Deputy Chief Robert Hull. "He was a very good police chief here."

About 5.4 square miles in size and abutting McKees Rocks, Stowe and Robinson, Kennedy has a low crime rate, yet its police department, with 10 full-time officers, is still busy, Chief Hull said.

Mr. Henry played a visible role in the community. In 2000, he helped launch a crime watch program for residents following a rash of vandalism at homes over several months.

He also helped bring the DARE program, or Drug Abuse Resistance Education, to David E. Williams Middle School and St. Malachy School, focusing outreach efforts on sixth-graders. Mr. Henry himself would talk to students about the dangers of drugs, and Kennedy still has two officers who teach the course on a regular basis.

Mr. Henry was briefly in the media spotlight in 1999, when his department worked with the FBI and other agencies after the kidnapping of 6-month-old Elaina Burke at Kenmawr Plaza Shopping Center. Steven Tkaczenko, who said he was the girl's father and had been in a custody dispute with her mother, later turned himself in to police.

Mr. Henry rarely talked about the details of his job at home, Riann Henry said.

"He felt the need to respect the victims' privacy," she said.

In his free time, Mr. Henry enjoyed fishing and tending to the rose bushes in his garden.

He was a diabetic, and he suffered from recurring health problems. Two years ago, part of his right leg was amputated, and he often used a wheelchair.

But he maintained an active life. Every Friday, he went with a group of friends to Rockefeller's Grille in Kennedy.

In addition to his daughter, he is survived by his wife, Kim Henry; a son, Bill; another daughter, Denise, and two grandchildren. He also is survived by three sisters, Carol Henson and Rachel Phillips, both of Robinson, and Judy Henson, of Claremore, Okla.

Visitation is from 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. today and tomorrow at the McDermott Funeral Home, 344 Forest Grove Road, Kennedy.

A funeral service will be held 11 a.m. Saturday in Kenmawr Presbyterian Church.

The family suggests sending contributions to Animal Friends, 562 Camp Horne Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15237.

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