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William R. Chamber Jr.
ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY Name: William R. Chambers, Jr. Age: 48 Rank: Career Firefighter III Badge #: 104 Station: Assigned to Orchard Beach Volunteer Fire Company Station #11 Date of Death: Tuesday, November 12, 1996 Circumstances of Death: Firefighter Chambers suffered a fatal heart attack Burial Location: Cedar Hill Cemetery – 5829 Ritchie Hwy Baltimore, MD 21225. (Anne Arundel County ADC map 3-B-6) Garden of Faith, front right corner of “Footprints” poem statue. Plaques, Memorials, Dedications, ETC.: * Anne Arundel County Fallen Firefighters Memorial, Millersville, MD Firefighter Chambers was 48 years old at the time of his death. He was a 28 year veteran of the county fire department and had worked at Orchard Beach for 17 years. Prior to his assignment to Orchard Beach, Chambers worked at the Brooklyn Park Station. Hired by the department in April of 1968, he was a member of Recruit Class #1. Before working for the Department, he served in the United States Army during the Vietnam War and achieved the rank of sergeant. News Reports: Maryland Gazette Wednesday November 13, 1996 A 48 year-old county firefighter on the scene of a medical call in Pasadena last night collapsed and died of an apparent heart attack, county firefighters said. Firefighter William R. Chambers, Jr. of Glen Burnie had been called to a medical emergency in the Orchard Beach neighborhood at 6:13p.m. when he collapsed, said Battalion Chief J. Gary Sheckells, county Fire Department spokesman. The state Medical Examiner’s Office has not yet made a determination on the exact cause of death, but Chief Sheckells said it is believed that he suffered heart failure. Firefighter Chambers was a 28-year veteran who had been stationed at the Orchard Beach station for the last several years. He was hired by the department in 1968. He collapsed seconds after arrival at the scene of the medical call on Edgewater Rod. Ambulance personnel who had initially been called to the medical emergency tried to help him, and a paramedic unit was also called in. He was taken by paramedics to North Arundel Hospital in Glen Burnie, where he was pronounced dead. Another Ambulance was called for the original patient, who was suffering from a long-term illness. The original patient was taken to the Harbor Hospital Center in Baltimore. Before Firefighter Chambers was stationed at Orchard Beach, he worked for a number of years at the Brooklyn Park station. “He was a great all-around guy, excellent at his job and very caring and dedicated,” Chief Sheckells said. “Our prayers to out to his family and friends.” A Fire Department funeral is planned. Arrangements have not been completed. Baltimore Sun Wednesday November 13, 1996 A county firefighter from Glen Burnie collapsed and died Tuesday after responding to a call for a patient with a long-term illness, Fire Department officials said. William R. Chambers, Jr., 48, of the 900 block of Dogwood Road in Lombardee Beach collapsed shortly after 6p.m. as he got out of the water tower truck he drove to the home of an ailing patient in the 8100 block of Edgewater Road in Orchard Beach. The water truck was sent to the home because it was closest, when the call came in, a Fire Department Spokesman said. Chambers, a 28-year veteran engineman with the Orchard Beach and Brooklyn Park fire stations, was taken to North Arundel Hospital, where he died of heart failure. The patient, whom fire officials did not identify, was complaining of discomfort. He was taken to Harbor Hospital.
Maryland Gazette, November 16, 1996 The death of a friend always comes as a shock. As did the death of Firefighter William “Will” Chambers, Jr. of the Anne Arundel County Fire Department on November 12, 1996. Will was assigned to the Orchard Beach Fire Station, where he worked for the past several years. To know this man was truly an honor. Always smiling, Will was a jolly man with a very positive attitude. His love for life and his family was something that he held very special. As a firefighter, Will loved to help others. That’s why it seemed so fitting that Will lost his life while caring for another person. Though his life has ended, his story has continued. You see, I had the pleasure of meeting a little girl by the name of Kimberly McGhee. A little 5-year old girl who loved the Fire Department very much. So much in fact, that her only dream in life was to become a firefighter. She came by my station (in Earleigh Heights) to see the equipment with her parents, as she had with other fire stations. Unfortunately, her dream had November. 12 after a long illness. It’s ironic that both of these people who had never met but shared in the love of helping others, died on the same day. To the parent so Kim McGee, you should take comfort in the fact that your little girl was not alone when she died. That knowing Will the way we knew him, (with his love for kids), he probably carried her (on his shoulders) into heaven. A hero in life as well as death. Maryland Gazette, November 16, 1996 Funeral services for Firefighter William R. Chambers, Jr., 48, of Glen Burnie, will be held today at 10a.m. at the McCully Funeral Home, Mountain and Tick Neck roads, Pasadena. Mr. Chambers died of an apparent heart attack Nov. 12 at North Arundel Hospital. He was responding to a medical emergency call in Orchard Beach. A 22-year Glen Burnie resident, he was born on October 28, 1948, in Maryland. He graduated from Glen Burnie High School and Catonsville Community College. Mr. Chambers was a firefighter for 28 years in Anne Arundel County. He had been at the Orchard Beach station for the last several years and previously worked at the Brooklyn Park station. He served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War and attained the rank of sergeant. He enjoyed bowling and was a fan of the Baltimore Ravens football team. Surviving are his wife, Sandy Winters Chambers of Glen Burnie; two daughters, Sherrie Hill of Stoney Beach and Deborah Chambers of Glen Burnie; his parents, William R. Chambers, Sr. and Phyllis Chambers of Glen Burnie; one sister, Karen Ridge of Glen Burnie; and one grandchild. The Rev. Leslie Yerner will officiate the services. Burial will be in Cedar Hill Cemetery. Arrangements are by McCully Funeral Home of Pasasdena. Memorial contributions may be sent to the National Kidney Foundation of Maryland 1107 Kenilworth Drive, Suite 202 Baltimore, MD 21204 Evening Capital Wednesday June 24, 1998 For his years guiding fire engines to the rescue in the Orchard Beach community, William Chambers, Jr. will be honored Saturday when Linden Road will be renamed in his memory. Mr. Chambers had served as a professional firefighter for 28 years – 17 with the Orchard Beach Volunteer Fire Department – when he suffered a heart attack in the line of duty in November 1996 at the age of 47. The dedication of William Chambers, Jr. Road will be held at noon at the Orchard Beach Fire Hall on Solley Road. Mr. Chambers was described by his fellow firefighters as a thorough professional with an astute knowledge of all parts of his field, ranging beyond his position as a pump operator, or apparatus driver. “He was extremely knowledgeable,” said fellow firefighter Mike Wedemeyer, “He had an associate’s degree in fire service, and he knew everything.” “His position was driver, but he knew far more than just what his assigned position was, and when he performed his job, he made it look easier than it was,” said George Wiseman, a lieutenant who worked with Mr. Chambers from 1995-1996 and is now stationed in Glen Burnie. Firefighting ran in Mr. Chamber’s family, Mr. Wedemeyer said, William Chambers, Sr. was a volunteer chief at the Lombardee Beach station, and Will Jr. started volunteering there at a young age. Mr. Wedemeyer said he and Mr. Chambers developed a close relationship while working together at Orchard Beach. “It was just great watching him raise his kids,” Mr. Wedemeyer said, “I’ve seen his kids go from elementary school to college. In addition to his daughters, Debbie, 21, and Sherrie, 24, Mr. Chambers was survived by his wife Sandy, and a 2-year-old grandson Joey. “It’s a really nice honor,” his wife said. “Will was actually working at Westinghouse in computers, and he gave up that job because he wanted to fight fires and help people.” Around the fire station, Mr. Chambers was well known as the chief gourmet, Mr. Wedemeyer said. “He cooked from the time he walked in to the time he walked out,” Mr. Wedemeyer said. “He could just cook up anything.” Mr. Wiseman said that Mr. Chambers’ death has left a void among his fellow professional and volunteer firefighters. “In a causal way he was a lot like your favorite uncle, he always had a joke or smile when he talked to you,” he said. “But in the most serious situations he was very controlled, and because he understood firefighting tactics so well he would always be thinking a step ahead of you.” In his memory, the Orchard Beach station started petitioning the county last year for a memorial in his honor. County Councilman Thomas W. Redmond, D-Pasadena, said Linden Street was picked because there were several streets in the county with that name, and almost all of the streets residents gave their consent. The county mad the decision administratively. “The dedication is not only to remember Will for what he did, but as a tribute to his family,” Mr. Wiseman said. “It will help us to give back to the community and family for the person they gave us.” |
