The London Police Service has announced the passing of its first Black officer.

On Friday, police shared that Lewis “Bud” Coray has died.

Coray first applied for the London police force in August 1951, but didn’t think at the time that he would be hired.

“When I applied in August 1951 I didn’t think I had a chance in a hole in the ground because I was coloured,” Coray said in 2020. “Little did I know, I would become a role model for the younger generation of minority officers.”

Coray went on to have a long, successful career with the London Police Service. He started out as a uniformed officer before making his way to the criminal investigations division, and eventually became a detective in the fraud unit. In total, Coray spent 30 years with the London police.

Coray was honoured in 2020 when London police dedicated a space to the former officer, calling it the “Lewis ‘Bud’ Coray Community Room.” The gathering place is located in the city’s police headquarters and is decorated with photographs of Coray during his time with the London police. During the ceremony, Coray was also presented with the Chief’s coin – a memento for those who embody what it means to be a member of the police service, a good citizen, and human being.

London police also established an annual award that is given in Coray’s honour. Each year, the Lewis Coray Trailblazer Awards recognize inspiring young Black people in the community. The ceremony takes place each year during Black History Month. This year’s honours will be held at the London police headquarters on Thursday, February 23, 2023 at 6 p.m.

“His work at [London Police Service] was transformational and his legacy will live on through the Lewis Coray Award for Youth, that recognizes trailblazers in our community,” London police wrote in their announcement.