Francis “Mickey” Roache, the former Boston police commissioner, has resigned his post as Suffolk County Register of Deeds.
Roache, 79, first won election to the low-profile job in 2002.
An affable figure reared in South Boston, he served in the police department for almost 25 years and was appointed commissioner in 1985 by former Mayor Raymond L. Flynn, his lifelong friend and political patron.
He won plaudits, from some, for moving to root out corruption in the department. But he faced criticism over the investigation of the Carol Stuart murder.
Stuart’s husband Charles claimed a black man had shot his pregnant wife, setting off a high-profile search for suspects. Stuart later committed suicide when he became a prime suspect in the case.
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Roache resigned in 1993 to run for mayor when Flynn left Boston to serve as President Bill Clinton’s ambassador to the Vatican.
He lost that race but went on to serve as a Boston city councilor, before running for register of deeds. His resignation took effect Dec. 31.
The register is responsible for recording real estate transactions in Suffolk County. Secretary of State William Galvin has the power to appoint a new register and set the next election for the post.
A spokesman for Galvin said he has not yet made any decisions.
In the meantime, Thomas M. Ryan is serving as the temporary register.
David Scharfenberg can be reached at david.scharfenberg@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @dscharfGlobe