Dear Firemen’s Grapevine:
LAFRA really helped us out right after Dad died from injuries sustained on the job. Mom was left with four very young children and the Widows and Orphans Fund helped her while Dad’s benefits were being determined in court. That was in 1971. You were even there for us kids just recently when Mom passed away. You sent the Dept. Chaplain to preside over her memorial services for us and you took care of all the legal stuff we didn’t know what to do with.
God bless you all.
Cynthia June Rupp – Luciene
Las Vegas, NV
(via Facebook)
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Dear Andy,
Please accept this donation in memory of Leo Dempsey, Paul Zuliani, and my husband Tom Lally, all good friends from the old days at 49’s. Also in honor of Ted Bailie and Mark Howell, two of Tom’s best friends at 49’s who helped me so much after Tom died. Thank you again for all the great work that the Relief Association does for firefighters and their families. I will always have the highest respect for the members and retired members of the LAFD.
Sincerely,
Janet Lally
Venice, CA
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LAFRA:
This donation to the LAFRA Widows, Orphans and Disabled Firemen’s Fund is in memory of my friend of over 50 years, Earl Mazzari. Over the years we stayed in touch via phone calls, emails and visits. While on the department we shared work projects, car pooling and handball as well as recreation at the River. My family (Stephanie, Krys and Bob) have many happy memories of those times.
Earl was the best kind of friend – practical yet generous, proud yet humble, hard working and fun loving. We will always remember his friendship.
Charlie and Elaine Osborne
Bellingham, WA
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Dear Andy:
I once again want to send my many thanks to you and all the wonderful employees who work for the Relief Association for all the help I have received. Never does a day go by that I don’t stop and tell myself how lucky I have been to belong to such a worthy organization.
Please except the enclosed check for the Widows, Orphans and Disabled Firemen’s Fund.
Once again thank you for such wonderful care you all provide.
Frank Brown
Santa Rosa, CA
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John,
Please accept this donation in memory of Michael J. Ambarian. Mike and I worked at old 26’s in the 1960’s. We had such great times there, lots of fires and exposed to such great role models. When Mike made A/O he stayed at 26’s and tillering for Mike was the ride of a lifetime.
Mike was a great friend, exemplary fireman, and I treasure our years together.
Thanks for the “Pepe.”
Bill Finn
Granada Hills, CA
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John,
Please accept this donation to the Widows, Orphans and Disabled Firemen’s Fund in memory of my long time friend, Earl Mazzari.
I met Earl in the early 70’s while working at 10’s as a 3-year fireman. We went to many fires together and he taught me the finer points of being a truckman. We studied for promotions together, built several homes together, and had a great friendship on and off the job.
Earl, the Wedge, was a mentor, a friend you could count on and a man’s man with a heart of gold. All who were fortunate enough to call Earl a friend will miss him dearly.
John “Jake” Jacobsen
Lake Arrowhead, CA
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LA Firemen’s Relief Association
This donation is in memory of Earl Mazzari who was a treasured friend, a true gentleman and a wonderful family man. We will miss him so much. Our sincere sympathy to his family.
Robbie Britvich and George Brooks
Newport Beach, CA
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Dear Los Angeles Firemen’s Relief Association;
Please accept this donation to the Widows, Orphans and Disabled Firemen’s Fund in memory and honor of Michael J. Ambarian.
I first met “Iron Mike” in mid 1978 when he was assigned to old Fire Station 29 as the station commander on the “A” platoon. I had been assigned there as the apparatus operator for about six months and had never met Mike before, but had definitely heard of his reputation, hence the “Iron Mike.” As it turned out, we became good friends.
Mike was one of the finest officers I had the pleasure to work for in nearly 34 years, both as my company commander as a Captain II at 29’s and later on as a section commander in the FPB when he recruited me to run the High Rise Unit. While there, he demonstrated a great deal of common sense regarding the retrofit of fire sprinkler systems to existing high rise buildings. In the station, he spent countless hours training us, from the brand new rookies to the seasoned veterans, with many hours spent at, as Bill Finn calls it – “the University of the Kitchen Table” – frequently using the term “what if” followed by a possible change in the scenario, well into the “wee hours.”
The last time I saw Mike was on April 16th, just three weeks before he left us. Mike, Craig Fletcher, Dana McLorn, Dan Winter and myself, all veterans of “old 29’s” rode together to the 100 year anniversary celebration of the opening of the old station. Afterwards, four of us went to lunch and reminisced a bit more about “The Good Old Days.”
Less than a month later I answered a phone call and was surprised that it was Mike’s son Jeff, also a captain on the LAFD. Needless to say I was more than surprised, shocked to say the least, when he told me that his dad had passed away while visiting family in France. It was as if I had lost a family member.
Sincerely,
Richard Watters, LAFD retired
Agoura Hills, CA
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L.A. Firemen’s Relief Association
Please accept this check in honor of Scott Brady whom I worked with at old 28’s. It was such a wonderful memory I have of him as a firefighter. May he rest in forever peace.
Sincerely,
Vaughn C. Swanson
Mosier, OR