Orange, CT - On October 6th, members of the Orange Volunteer Fire Department quietly honored past members who have died. The annual memorial service usually takes place on Memorial Day.

Fire Chief Vaughan Dumas noted the difference in the timing and circumstances of this year’s service as he addressed members. Night was falling and members stood quietly with their heads bowed, their faces masked and with some distance between members.

“Had it not been for their contributions,” Dumas said of past members, “we wouldn’t have the foundation we have today.”

Dumas noted that the service couldn’t be held on Memorial Day because of the coronavirus, but that Tuesday was an appropriate day because it came in the middle of National Fallen Firefighters Weekend, which runs from Sept. 27 through Oct. 4. In addition to the Orange ceremony, Vaughan thanked firefighters for participating in a state ceremony that added Fire Marshal Tim Smith to a memorial list at the Connecticut Fire Academy in Windsor Locks. Smith died in the line of duty in January.

Father Norman Brockett, pastor at Holy Infant Parish and a Fire Department chaplain, offered prayers for the occasion, citing the firefighters’ work as inspirational.

“We can never repay the sacrifices of these courageous firefighters,” he said. “We only acknowledge that they gave all for us. Help us to go forward today having received from these short moments of prayer and meditation a small measure of personal aspiration to be like them in daily small ways.”

Dumas noted that in addition to Smith, Elfo Pol’s name was being added to the list of firefighters being remembered. Pol passed away in June.

After Vaughan’s comments, he and Deputy Fire Chief Charles Sherwood read the names of the firefighters who had passed away. Those names were:

Charter Members
• Herbert Achtmeyer
• William Achtmeyer
• James Beebe
• Edwin Boppert
• Harold Brown
• John Burns
• Raymond Carter
• Benjamin Clark Sr.
• George Clark
• Fred Crosby
• John Demarest
• John Gardner
• Clarence Hall
• Robert Harris
• Edward J. Harvey
• W. Arnold Hine
• Frederick Hine
• George T. Hine
• George Johnson
• William Knight
• Chester Neal
• Clarence Northrop
• Donald Page
• Edward Savage
• Elbert Scobie
• Alton Terrell
• C.W. Townley
• Chris Winkle Jr.
• Robert J. Woodruff

Active
• Robert T. Baldwin
• Earl Becker
• William Brennan
• John Capecelatro
• Ralph Capecelatro
• Jack Crockett
• Joseph Cuzzocreo
• John Cuzzocreo
• James Daniel
• Dr. H. Lincoln Dunn
• Arthur Eberlein
• Andrew Fredericksen
• W. Earle Fulton
• Edward Gagel
• Donald Galligan
• George W. Gilson
• Henry Grove
• Robert K. Hathaway
• George T. Hine Jr.
• Ronald Hine
• John Howell
• Clark Howlett
• Ernest Kirchberg
• Peter Logidice
• Norvel Lloyd
• Steven Loomis
• Gene Lubocki
• Elmer Manley
• George McDermott
• Dr. Leroy Monks
• John O’Brien
• William Olesen
• Axel Petersen
• Clifford Petersen
• Fred Pilbro
• Walter Plummer
• Elmo Pol
• James Richitelli
• Kenneth R. Robinson
• John Ross
• Walter Scott
• James Searles
• George Smith
• Timothy P. Smith
• W. Curtis Sperry
• William Sutherland
• James White
• John P. Wies
• Thomas M. Wright
• Joseph Yarosh
• Harry Zarkos

Deceased Active
• Charles Palmer
• Frank J. Kelly Jr.
• John Slater
• James Moran
• Kenneth Mitchell Sr.
• Clayton Pilbro
• Albert Clark Jr.
• John Seninowski
• Joseph Swatt
• Roger Patrick
• James Ewen
• Harrie Patrick
• Ray Stock
• Frank W. Knight

Honorary Member
• Harold McGrath Jr.