Almost 100 first responders among 350 attending funeral for Bob Mitchell

BY JANA SEMENIUK

A funeral for Canada’s longest serving firefighter, Bob Mitchell, was held on May 2 at the Lamont Recreation Centre with over 350 people attending, including nearly 100 first responders. Mitchell, 90, who served the fire department for nearly 72 years, passed away on Apr. 26.

Tributes have poured in over social media since Mitchell’s passing, as friends and colleagues honoured the man who devoted his life to serving others. Mitchell was predeceased by his wife Muriel in 2003, after 40 years of marriage.

Prior to the service, fellow firefighters gathered outside, to organize themselves before marching into the hall with Mitchell’s casket. Retired firefighter John Helton said it was an emotional day.

“It’s hard to reflect on what he means to all of us,” he said. “I’ve known Bob for 40 years.”

Rev. Deborah Brill officiated the services where Mitchell’s son Kelly shared heartwarming and humorous stories about his dad while retired fire fighter Herman Sieker delivered Mitchell’s eulogy.

A touching slide show depicted Mitchell’s full life including time spent working at the local car dealership, vacations taken with his wife in addition to hunting trips where Mitchell proudly posed with his prizes.

In a touching tribute, Mitchell was delivered to his final resting place at the Lamont United Church Hackett Cemetery on the back of a firetruck.

Mitchell began with the Lamont Fire Department in 1951 when he was just out of high school. A huge fire in 1950 prompted the town to purchase a fire truck and start the fire department with Mitchell being one of the founding members.

Mitchell earned several honours in his lifetime, most recently the Queen

Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal in Oct. and on March 24, 2022 he marked his 25,773rd day of fire department service making him the longest serving fire fighter in Canada.

A special medal, the only one in existence, was crafted by the Canadian Volunteer Fire Fighters Association to mark the occasion and was presented to Mitchell last year.

In 2021 for 70 years of service with the Lamont Fire Department they renamed their fire station after him. As he sat in his wheelchair in full uniform and watched the unveiling of the new sign bearing his name, he said he was awestruck.

“I couldn’t speak,” he said during an interview with the Lamont Leader. As Bob looked around at the large crowd who gathered to celebrate him that day, he smiled.

“I didn’t think I had this many friends.”