Colleagues sing praises late deputy fire chief
By Jason Arndt
Editor
Gregory Havel was more than just firefighter, he was a close friend, a spiritual leader and always selflessly served the community, according to his former colleagues.
Havel, who started his tenure as a Town of Burlington firefighter in 1987, lost his battle with brain cancer and died at 58 years old on Feb. 7.
Despite the illness, which required chemotherapy and radiation treatments, Town of Burlington Fire Chief Bill Vrchota said Havel still kept a positive demeanor.
“He always had a positive outlook. His main concern was not himself and how sick he was, his main concern was his mother,” Vrchota said. “We, as a department, stepped up and promised him that we would take care of her. She is 96 years old.”
Scott Wingreen, the town’s assistant fire chief, believes Havel’s faith is what kept him upbeat.
Wingreen, like Vrchota, knew Havel for about two decades.
“He knew his faith and he just wanted to keep things as positive as possible,” Wingreen said.
His faith, according to Vrchota, was developed at an early age.
Havel, a Franciscan Friar, became interested in the faith while he was a student attending Burlington High School.
“He definitely was proud to be a friar and early in his life, he knew that is what he wanted to do,” Vrchota said.
Vrchota, however, indicated Havel only discussed his faith when called upon.
“He did if you wanted to talk about it, he wasn’t one to push it on you, or bring it up,” he said. “But, most definitely, if you had some personal issues in your life that you needed somebody to talk to, he was definitely the person.”
To read the full story see the Feb. 21 edition of the Burlington Standard Press.
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