Fire chief says goodbye

June 23rd, 2008 at 07:23pm Mary Kaull

I had the pleasure of attending the retirement reception for former Rockford Fire Chief Bill Robertson on Sunday at Klehm Arboretum. The most heartwarming message came from his daughters, Jill and Kathy. They said the man who was so respected in the city for his patience, grace and dignity was the same man at home.

Jill said when she was a teen, if she wanted to be out past curfew, her dad would politely listen to her reasons and carefully consider her request. Kathy remembered that on her dad’s days off, she was his shadow and eagerly put on the “blue work shirt” that matched his.

The most touching comment from the daughters was that Robertson never — ever — disrespected their mother, Sue, and that their love as a couple has always been evident.

The chief ran an excellent department, but his family’s admiration and devotion is the mark of a man whose knows where his most important legacy will be.

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