A man described as dedicated to his community, family and job, former fire chief Ted McCullough died Feb.14 in Playa Hermosa, Costa Rica at the age of 73.
"Ted was dedicated to serving the community by volunteering in many groups and organizations, but most importantly the fire service both municipally and provincially," reads his obituary. "His fire service career began in Cambridge where he was the Chief Training Officer, then moved to The Town of Dundas as Fire Chief. In 1990, Ted’s career moved him and his family to North Bay, where he was Fire Chief for 18 years."
He retired in 2008 and pursued some consulting for municipal fire services and was appointed as the Fire Chief in West Perth where he reorganized the department for the future.
Read the full obituary here.
Present North Bay Deputy Chief Greg Saunders says McCullough was actually the chief when he started his own career 28 years ago.
"You know, Ted was a tireless worker," Saunders told BayToday. "He was in the office. He was in early every day, stayed late, and was always available. His door was always open. He tried to maintain contact with the guys. He was compassionate at all times, and always, always professional."
Saunders says Chief Ted was always pro-department.
"He really prioritized the fire safety in our community and wanted to make sure that we had people on staff that were not only ready but competently trained with the right equipment to be able to respond and provide an effective response to fire safety emergencies in the community."
Added present fire chief Jason Whiteley, "Chief McCullough led North Bay Fire and Emergency Services from 1990 until his retirement in 2008. Chief McCullough’s leadership was instrumental in the modernizing and updating of North Bay Fire’s equipment and facilities. The thoughts and prayers from the members of North Bay Fire are with Chief McCullough’s family and friends."
"Ted loved his family, although he often removed his hearing aid when they all visited," says his obituary. "He enjoyed woodworking, cycling, his annual fishing trip with ‘the boys’ to Lac Promenade, the ‘Tage gang' and of course his red wine."
A celebration of life will be held in late spring for family and friends.
Donations in memory of Ted may be sent to Chat4Chad or a charity of your choice.
