Dear Andy,
I want to thank you so much for all your help when Bill passed away this February. I know it has been four months and this note should have been written a while ago, but Bill always told me that if anything ever happened to him that you would know what to do and would help me—and he was right. I knew pretty well what to do but you gave me confidence that I did it right, and that if things went wrong I could ask you for help. So, thank you again. I didn’t know about the flag and would have loved it presented at Bill’s memorial. The flag and the presentation case are beautiful. It will always be displayed in our home. Bill really loved the fire department; both Los Angeles and Arlington. We had so many wonderful memories from both departments and all the people we were privileged to know.
My sincere regards,
Donna Strickland
Los Alamitos, CA
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Dear LAFRA,
All the thanks in the world is not enough to express how much the beautiful flag honoring my dear husband, Basil, means to me and my family. I will treasure it as long as I live and it will go down through the generations. There are now four generations that will know that Basil was part of a wonderful fire family and how that family took care of us. It has been a privilege to have been a firemen’s wife and to have experienced the fire family. Thank you for taking such good care of me during my time of loss. I don’t know how I could have gotten through all the steps it takes to get things required completed if you had not been there for me. You all bless me in a mighty way.
Frances Daughenbaugh
Berryton, KS
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LAFRA,
Please accept this in memory of our longtime friend, Dean Cathey. We have many fond memories of our 25-year Mammoth condo partnership and the fun times on our ski trips.
Sincerely,
Richard and Mary Rozendal
Ramona, CA
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LAFRA,
I met Durwood Lewis in 1964 when I joined the San Fernando Fire Department. Durwood was my captain and from day one he encouraged me to take fire science classes, study for engineer and move on to a larger department. In 1969, I left San Fernando and joined the LAFD. In 1979, SFFD was taken over by the LAFD and once again Durwood and I were on the same department. Durwood was the first captain from the SFFD to promote to Captain II.
Durwood was my mentor and friend and he will be missed.
Tom Drake
Tucson, AZ
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LAFRA –
Butchie, I’m going to miss you. If you called him Conrad [Marcione], you didn’t know him. To work for/with Butch was an experience. His sense of humor and wit was amazing. I met Butch in early 1975 in S. Central and liked him way back then. Some people didn’t . . . their loss. He was proud of 90’s and Helitac. He worked hard at making us good. We traveled with the Marciones to Mexico, Canada, Italy, Ireland, England, Argentina . . . I can go on and on. Butch was also one of our Harley riders and we traveled all over the US. So to say that you will be missed is an understatement. God bless you Butch, Rest in Peace my Friend.
David L Lowe
Newbury Park, CA
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LAFRA –
I first met Butch [Conrad Marcione] when I came to 90’s as a part-time Pilot/Fireman. As such, with his legendary disdain for pilots, I had the odds stacked against me for earning any favor with Butch from the get-go. As time passed, I wore through that gruff exterior and earned a place on his crew. With that breakthrough, I found a top-notch skipper, craftsman, excellent helicopter crewman and fun Harley-riding buddy. I, too, enjoyed the cross-country motorcycle trips with Butch and Sue, Christmas parties, houseboat trips, and the list goes on. Never one to be caught posing or smiling in a picture, Butch reveled in photo-bombing any stranger’s pictures, popping up just at the close of the shutter with that goofy toothy grin. His skill as a craftsman is matched only by Susie’s eye for decorating if you have ever seen one of the houses they built in Agoura and Garnerville. He was the go-to guy for any construction question. Gonna miss you, Buddy. God’s got a Michelob Ultra in the freezer waiting for you—on its side, 10 minutes. No more, no less.
Jeff Moir
Newhall, CA
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LAFRA –
I drove Chief [Kenneth] Dameron his first day in Battalion 3. We had a fire in Baldwin Hills and lost five homes. If not for Chief Dameron’s quick initial response, many more homes would have been lost. Chief Dameron was a true gentleman, and a pleasure to work with. My condolences to Brian and all the Damerons.
RIP Chief Dameron,
Kevin Kearns
Thousand Oaks, CA
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LAFRA –
I first met Dean [Cathey] when he came to FS 4 as our Capt. II. What a great guy to work with. As mentioned by a few others, what a talented guy, so he didn’t stay there too long before he was snatched up for one of his many Special Duty stints. A number of years later, I was honored to be his Staff Assistant in Division I. We had a great 18 months until the powers that be got rid of the Division S/A’s. Dean was an excellent leader, great fire ground officer, and just a fun guy to be around. The best to Dean’s family. RIP my old friend, you will be missed.
Sheldon McKowan
Chatsworth, CA