Fair Lawn, N.J. — November 1 —The Fair Lawn Fire Department regrets to report the death of Ex-Chief John "Jack" Hoitsma, a loyal member who served for an amazing 60 years. Chief Hoitsma was assigned to Company #1 and served in a variety of leadership positions throughout his career, including four terms as President, four terms as Captain, two terms as Deputy Chief, and Chief of the Department in 1972 and 1992. He was the first member in department history to reach 50 years of active service and was honored in 2023 as part of the inaugural class of the Fair Lawn Emergency Services Wall of Honor.

Beyond his contributions to Fair Lawn, Chief Hoitsma was deeply involved in the broader fire service community, serving with the NJ State Fire Chiefs’ Association, Bergen County Fire Chiefs’ Association, and the Northwest Bergen Mutual Aid Association, where he was a past president. He was also a life member

Chief Hoitsma is survived by his wife of 64 years, Carol; his sons John Jr., Donald (wife Donna), and Ex–Fair Lawn Fire Chief Chris (wife Lori); grandchildren Scott (wife Taylor), Danielle (husband Ben), Tyler, and Madison (husband Dillon); and six great-grandchildren. His loss will be deeply felt by the members of Fair Lawn Fire Company #1 and the entire Fair Lawn Fire Department.r of the NJ State Firemen's Relief Association and served as a Fair Lawn Fire Inspector for a decade.