John P. Pfeiffer, 84, a former Chicago police officer and World War II veteran, died Tuesday at the Bahai Home in Wilmette. Mr. Pfeiffer grew up on Chicago’s North Side where he lived until he was drafted into the Army during World War II. He served in Guam as a sergeant and was wounded in the leg by a grenade. After the war, he returned to Chicago, married the late Mary L. Pfeiffer and decided to join the Chicago Police Department as a beat cop in the Town Hall District. “When he came back from the war he wasn’t really afraid of anyone,” said his daughter, Jean L. Bailey. Much of his career was spent in the Grand Central Area, from which he retired as a sergeant in 1970. “He was a man who believed in justice,” Bailey said. “He also loved Chicago. He was a tough guy, but at the same time he was also a lamb.” Mr. Pfeiffer was was a big sports fan and especially enjoyed watching Notre Dame football games. “He loved their spirit,” Bailey said. “I knew the Notre Dame fight song before I knew `Mary Had a Little Lamb.’ ” Mr. Pfeiffer is survived by two other daughters, Mary Joan Mar and Nancy Pfeiffer; and four grandchildren. Mass will be said at 11 a.m. Friday in Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 905 Burr Ave., Winnetka.
