Mr. Brophy had begun his career in the Police Department, serving from 1953 to 1963. He was promoted to sergeant, and the department paid for him to learn Spanish. The skill attracted recruiters from the FBI, which he then joined.

"I made a mistake," Mr. Brophy told a reporter years later.

He bounced around to assignments in three states, chafing under the management style of J. Edgar Hoover, he said, and after four years quit to be police chief in New Castle County, Del. He later worked in security for Food Fair and Sears stores, and was police chief in Pottsville, Pa.

He worked in security at Cooper University Hospital in Camden for 10 years and spent 10 years in the Sheriff's Department in Camden County.

In 2001, at age 74, he decided to return to his dream job - with the Philadelphia police. After being sued for age discrimination, in the early 1990s the Police Department had removed its hiring-age limit of 35.

Mr. Brophy, who had a bachelor's degree from La Salle University and a master's degree from St. Joseph's University, and attended law school in Texas and Oklahoma while in the FBI, placed in the top five on the civil service test. He also passed the physical exam, including a special stress test, to became the oldest recruit in Police Department history.

While at the Police Academy, he passed the tests for sit-ups, bench press, and stretching. He washed out, though, because he could not run 11/2 miles in 16 minutes, 40 seconds, and failed by one shot the accuracy requirement for shooting a handgun at night.

He applied for a waiver, which was denied, and his appeal was turned down in federal court.

Mr. Brophy did not give up on law enforcement. He worked for Vector Security for a time and took courses in criminology at the University of Pennsylvania, said his daughter, Colleen Kochanowicz.

He also pursued his many other interests, she said. He sang, played the piano, did comedy routines at the Dining Car in Northeast Philadelphia, and performed for residents at Simpson House, a retirement residence in Wynnefield Heights, where he had lived since 2007. In August, he entertained passengers on a cruise to New England and Canada.

Mr. Brophy ran a driving school while he was on the police force in the 1950s. He later ran a comedy school, gave three-day seminars in karaoke, and gave piano lessons. He recently learned to play the ukulele.

He was a volunteer for WHYY fund drives and was a lifelong blood donor for the American Red Cross. For 40 years, he participated in spiritual weekends at Malvern Retreat House.

Mr. Brophy graduated from West Philadelphia Catholic High School and served in the Navy during World War II.

He was divorced from his wife of 19 years, Margaret Rich, with whom he had two children: his daughter and a son, William 3d, a detective with the Police Department.

In addition to his children and former wife, he is survived by four grandchildren and by his former wives Virginia Callahan and Felicia Simmons.

A memorial service will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at the Jane Henry Chapel, Simpson House, 2101 Belmont Ave.