Tag Archives: obituary

Beacon Hose Mourns Passing of Longtime Member Peter Christensen

April 4, 2021 Beacon Hose Leave a comment

We at Beacon Hose are sad and regretful to announce the passing of longtime member Peter Christensen, who died April 3 with family and friends by his side.

Pete joined Beacon Hose in January 1975 and held countless roles in our organization over the past 46 years. In addition to being a firefighter and an EMT, he was a past EMS director and the longtime chairperson of our scholarship committee, where he oversaw the awards of more than $100,000 to Beacon Falls students over the past few decades.

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Beacon Hose Mourns Loss of Bob Messner, Longest-Serving Member

March 2, 2021 Beacon Hose Leave a comment

We at Beacon Hose are brokenhearted and regretful to announce that Robert Messner, the longest-serving member in the history of our fire department, died peacefully at his home March 2, 2021, after a long illness. He was 91 years old, and he was a member of Beacon Hose for nearly 63 years.

Bob joined Beacon Hose in July 1958 and had been a fixture in our firehouse since then. He was not only a dedicated firefighter for many years, but he was a master mechanic who worked for the Connecticut Department of Transportation. He carried those skills here to Beacon Hose with his work on our beloved 1929 Seagrave and countless apparatus replacement committees. He was a role model for our members and engineers for decades — Past Chief Ted Smith said that Bob was a “top-notch mechanic” who “taught me everything I know about the Seagrave.”

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BHC Remembers Past Asst. Chief Kevin Swan on 10-Year Anniversary

March 10, 2020 Beacon Hose Leave a comment

We remember Past Asst. Chief Kevin Swan, whom we lost in a line-of-duty death in 2010, 10 years ago today.

Kevin died March 10, 2010, after suffering a heart attack while responding to a call. He was the captain of the Beacon Hose Fire Police at the time. He was a member of our department for nearly 50 years, during which time he served as assistant chief and an active member of our area’s two major chiefs’ associations.

Beacon Hose bestowed full honors upon Kevin’s passing, including a funeral procession down Main Street led by our 1929 Seagrave.

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BHC Observes National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend

October 2, 2015 Beacon Hose Leave a comment

The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation is an organization that holds a special place in the hearts of Beacon Hose. We have made several trips to the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Park in Emmitsburg, Md., to partake in ceremonies and honor the memories of heroes who have died in the line of duty.

Beacon Hose has the rare distinction of being a small town with four men who have died in the fire service and are therefore honored at this sacred ground. In fact, no other all-volunteer department in Connecticut has as many line of duty deaths than Beacon Hose. Our departed members include:

Past Capt. Wilbur Wheeler (Dec. 31, 1979)
Past Chief Joseph A. Daddona (Aug. 31, 1986)
Past Chief Robert A. Cole (Dec. 19, 1991)
Past Asst. Chief Kevin J. Swan (March 10, 2010)

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