HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2017-03-16, Page 16PAGE 16. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 16, 2017.
Blyth loses long-time Fire Chief Paul Josling
CHARLES PAUL JOSLING
Paul Josling, who passed away in
his 67th year on Saturday, March 11,
2017 after a long, courageous battle
with cancer, spent much of his life
building things, and keeping them
from being burned down.
A builder by trade, he also served
for 37 years on the Blyth and District
Fire Department and the Fire
Department of North Huron, 23 of
them as chief.
He was born on Feb. 24, 1951, the
son of Elgin and Gladys Josling of
Londesborough. After attending
Hullett Central Public School and
Central Huron Secondary School he
apprenticed with A. Manning and
Sons before beginning his own
contracting business, Josling Bros.
Construction with his brother Neil,
which he continued until he became
Chief Building Official with the
Village of Blyth in April 1990, later
adding the Village of Brussels, the
Township of McKillop, the
Township of Morris and the
Township of Turnberry to the
municipalities he served.
After municipal amalgamization
in 2001 he became Chief Building
Official for the Municipality of
Huron East, where he continued
until his official retirement in 2016,
although he had been on medical
leave since being diagnosed with
cancer in June, 2014.
"What he brought to us as CBO
was the ideal combination of
practical experience as a general
contractor along with the skills he
developed as CBO for the smaller
municipalities," said Brad Knight,
CAO of Huron East.
"When we amalgamated he had
the ideal skill set for the position,
which was further enhanced by his
background and involvement as fire
chief. With Paul as CBO he
provided us with some extra depth
from a fire perspective that you
normally wouldn't expect from the
CBO. I think what Paul enjoyed
from the position is that he now had
a permanent place to work from with
support staff to draw from."
While his professional career was
in building and supervising building,
his passion was in firefighting.
Commenting in an article in The
Citizen at the time of his retirement
from the Fire Department of North
Huron in 2011, he said he had
wanted to be a firefighter for as long
as he could remember.
Doug Scrimgeour, who would
later serve as a captain with the
Blyth department while Paul was
chief, remembers Paul was laying
carpet in a Scrimgeour bedroom
when the fire siren went off and
Scrimgeour ran off to answer the
call. When he returned, Paul told
him he'd love to be a firefighter and
"a lifetime of service resulted".
Paul remembered vividly joining
the department on April 4, 1974 at
the age of 23 and the long training
that resulted.
In 1987, long-time chief Irvin
Bowes, who was planning to retire,
approached Paul about taking over
the job. He had already been named
the officer in charge of auto
extrication in 1981. In 1988 he was
elevated to the post of chief.
Scrimgeour says one of Paul's
greatest accomplishments was
convincing the councillors of the
municipalities that supported the
former Blyth department to provide
the money needed for better
equipment.
The Blyth department became a
leader among the county's volunteer
fire departments in offering Medical
First Response and he promoted the
merits of the program to other
municipalities. His department also
adopted the Automatic Defibrillation
Program.
Blyth also played host to the
Firefighters' Association of Ontario
(FFAO) annual convention four
times during his years as chief,
2001, 2004, 2007 and 2010.
Speaking at Paul's retirement
party in 2011, Darren Storey
of the FFAO remembered him
Obituaries
as a great host for the event.
He was also chief when members
of his department volunteered their
time to set up the Emergency
Services Training Centre in Blyth.
Beyond the Blyth department,
Paul served as Huron County Mutual
Fire Aid Co-odinator, bringing
together the efforts of 340 volunteer
firefighters across the county.
In The Citizen story at the time of
his retirement he said there were
many bad incidents during his long
career as a firefighter that were hard
to forget, but the worst day on the
job was the day in 2006 when he
heard the news that one of his
firefighters, OPP Constable Dave
Mounsey, had been killed when his
cruiser left the road while
responding to an accident.
In 2009 when OPP Constable
Patrick Armstrong approached Paul
about setting up the Dave Mounsey
Memorial Fund to place life-saving
defibrillators in public buildings,
Paul became the first board member
and was elected vice-president of the
fund, a position he held until he
retired in 2013.
In 2014 he was presented with the
fund's second -ever Meritorious
Service Cross presented "for a deed
or service which was performed in
an exceptionally high standard and
manner which brought considerable
honour to and for the Dave Mounsey
Memorial Fund".
He was also a long-time volunteer
with the Huron Pioneer Thresher &
Hobby Association, serving as
president in 2004 and 2005 and
acting as safety lead for several
years. For many years the Blyth and
District Fire Department also had
auto extrication demonstrations at
the reunion.
Paul was also a member of the
Blyth Masonic Lodge #303, AF &
AM, rising through all the chairs to
become Master.
He was also a board member with
Crime Stoppers for several years and
a member of the Blyth Lions Club.
Throughout his many activities he
was ably assisted and supported by
his wife of more than 40 years. He
married Dianne Cook on June 4,
TED KLAASSEN
Mr. Theodor Johann Klaassen,
formerly of Fordwich, passed away
at Huronlea Home for the Aged,
Brussels, on Sunday, March 12,
2017. He was in his 97th year.
Ted was the beloved husband of
Elfriede (Degenaar) Klaassen.
Elfreide and Ted were married in
Germany in 1949, and immigrated to
Canada in 1952.
Ted was the father of Johanna and
Joe Nicholson, RR 2, Bluevale;
Gary and Angie Klaassen, RR 3,
Zurich; Weert Klaassen and
Maureen Power, St. Thomas; and
Theodor Klaassen Jr. and Erin
Hudspeth, Kitchener. He was the
grandfather of Rodney and Laura
Nicholson, Parkhill; Jamie and
Roxane Nicholson, RR 2 Bluevale;
Karri-Anne and Bart Cameron,
Wingham; Richard Klaassen, Grand
Bend; Mark Klaassen, St. Marys;
Michael Klaassen, Zurich; and Anita
Klaassen, Toronto.
Ted was the great-grandfather of
Brennan, Cole, Jake, Britney, Josie
and Colby Nicholson and Aubrey
Anne and Abygail Cameron.
Ted was the last surviving child of
Weert and Johanna (Schoolmann)
Klaassen. He was predeceased by
his siblings Elizabeth, Weert,
Johanne, Henriette, Wilhelmine,
Theda and Frieda.
A celebration of Ted's life will be
held at St. Paul's Lutheran Church,
Wallace Township, on Friday, March
24th at 2 p.m., with visitation one
hour prior.
Interment is in St. Paul's Lutheran
Church Cemetery.
Memorial donations to St. Paul's
Lutheran Church, Wallace
Township, or the Residents' Council
at Huronlea, Brussels, would be
appreciated.
Online condolences may be left at
www.eatonfuneralhome.ca
HOWARD JACKSON
WALKER
Howard Walker of Wingham
passed away peacefully, at Nine
Mile Villa, Lucknow on Wednesday,
March 8, 2017. He was 93. He was
the loving husband of the late Jean
(Leaver) Walker, who predeceased
him in 2011. Howard was the
cherished father of Joyce and
Murray Vincent, Belgrave, Glen
Walker and Joanne Cook, East
Wawanosh Township and Cheryl
and Brent Foxton, Wingham. He
was the dear grandfather of Dean
Vincent and Anna Perkins, Jayne
Vincent and David Spinks, Vaughn
Vincent, Todd Walker and Christina
Steplock, Jody McArthur, Matthew
Walker, Cody Foxton and Chad
Foxton and Brittany Weber and the
great-grandfather of 12. Howard was
the brother of Clarence and Margaret
Walker, Wingham and the brother-
in-law of Doris Walker, Wingham
and Evelyn and D.A. Hackett,
Lucknow. He was predeceased by
his parents George and Eva
(Humphrey) Walker, brothers
Wilfred and Ernie Walker and sister-
in-law Ruth Walker.
Visitation was held on March 12 at
McBurney Funeral Home, Wingham
and the funeral service was held at
McBurney Funeral Home Chapel on
Monday at 11 a.m. Memorial
donations to Wingham and District
Hospital Foundation or the
Wingham United Church would be
appreciated as expressions of
sympathy.
Online condolences may be left at
www.mcburneyfuneralhome.com
Obituaries continue
on Page 18
1976. They had two children who
they raised in Blyth in the house
Paul built himself. He is survived by
Jeff and his wife Shanann and
Joanne and her husband Mike
Dixon. Paul will be missed by his
grandchildren: Kyle, Jacob, Emily
and Keegan.
He is also survived by his sisters
Eilleen Jefferson, RR1, Belgrave,
Marie and her husband Sandy
Tomlinson, Kitchener; and Betty and
her husband Jamie Clelland, Texas
and by his brothers Ken of
Londesborough and Neil and his
wife Elaine of Clinton.
Also surviving are his sisters-in-
law Brenda and her husband Bill
McDougall, Blyth; Connie and her
husband Kevin Tasker, Goderich;
Maryanne Cook Fitzgerald and
Ernie Dale, RR3, Blyth; and Susan
Dale and Charles East, Clinton; and
by his brothers-in-law Bill Cook,
Blyth; Stephen and his wife Debbie,
Blyth and Sam and his wife Vickie,
Cambridge as well as many nieces
and nephews.
Besides his parents, he was
predeceased by his brother Lloyd
Josling and his brothers-in-law Wes
Jefferson, George Cook and Peter
Cook.
Visitation was held Wednesday,
March 15 at Blyth United Church
from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. The funeral
service will be held Thursday, March
16 at 11 a.m. at Blyth United
Church with Rev. Gary Clark
officiating.
In lieu of flowers, donations to the
Dave Mounsey Memorial Fund
would be appreciated.
Condolences to the Josling family
may be forwarded to
www.falconerfuneralhomes.com.
Mei+ e/112,4Pl'P(7
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