Oh Ken - thank you for reminding us all how much life Tim brought into everyones life. He got away with so much...because it was coming from a place of love. We are so comforted in these difficult days remembering what a gift he was to all of us. Sending love

Chris and I will always have great memories of Tim. He gave the blessing at our wedding our reception. I worked on the fire department with him for 20 years, but he was more than a co-worker - he was a good friend and mentor. I could tell numerous...  moreChris and I will always have great memories of Tim. He gave the blessing at our wedding our reception. I worked on the fire department with him for 20 years, but he was more than a co-worker - he was a good friend and mentor. I could tell numerous stories that demonstrate Tim’s leadership, his caring and his compassion. However, when I thought about it, possibly more indicative of what I remember about Tim is this story:

When we worked at Fire Station #3 in Schaumburg, the fire chief’s office was in our station. One of the everyday duties for the firefighters was to wash and vacuum the chief’s vehicle (the chief’s “buggy’). Like clockwork, every time we did this and Timmy was working, he would get into Chief Sutherland’s buggy, reset all the preset radio buttons to only Spanish and Polish speaking channels, and also turn the radio up to maximum volume – loud enough to blow you out of the car. Then, when it close to lunchtime, Tim would hide behind the fire apparatus and watch for Chief Sutherland to head for his vehicle. The chief would get in his buggy, start it up, and begin to pull it out of the firehouse. The buggy would get about five feet out the door onto the firehouse apron at which point the brakes were slammed on and the chief would jump out of the car – with some Spanish announcer playing at full volume in the background. This was followed by the shouting of a string of expletives and invariably the words “Timmy you SOB”. We would all watch in simultaneous disbelief and amazement as the chief then proceeded to chase Tim around the firehouse with Tim trying to escape while laughing his butt off. It happened repeatedly, but never lost its entertainment value. Over time, I came to believe that both Chief Sutherland and Tim actually enjoyed playing out the game. I would like to think that the Chief is now chasing Tim around once again as we speak. Rest in peace Tim.  less