Tributes and condolences poured onto social media Friday for former Kentville fire chief Harmon Illsley, who passed away Thursday. Illsley, the longest-serving chief of the department, was 89. He joined the department in 1952 and served for 43 years, the last 20 of those as chief.
By Friday evening about 100 messages of condolence had been posted on the department’s Facebook page from members of the public and current and former firefighters across the province.
“All his energies during his time as chief went into making a better fire department,” said retired deputy chief John Durno, who served with Illsley for many years. “We had very successful years and brought the fire department along to where it is today. We’re still seeing effects of the time that he was chief.”
He said Illsley was chief when the department started to modernize its fleet with larger trucks in the 1970s and early 1980s.
He said that was a time when the department had to raise most of its own funds, and Illsley was always involved.
“He worked his bingos like everyone else,” Durno said, adding that Illsley was a familiar figure at fire department events and fundraisers, slinging hotdogs and washing cars.
While Illsley retired from the department in the mid 1990s, he was still active with the Maritime Fire Chiefs Association until last year as chairman of the honours committee, and was a past-president of the association. He attended the annual meetings until last year, Durno said.
When he wasn’t dealing with fires, Illsley was a fun-loving member of the department.
“He was always just one of the fellows with us,” Durno said. “He played on the fire department ball teams (and) when the department had benefit hockey games for different organizations, he was there selling tickets.”
Illsley was a familiar site at the fire station while chief and wore the department’s uniform proudly. Even after his retirement, he could be found playing cards regularly at the station.
“One of his most enjoyable things at the fire hall was sitting down and having a game of 45s. He loved playing cards there,” Durno said.
Illsley was named honorary chief of the department after his retirement, and when the station was renovated in 2000, the apparatus bay where the trucks are parked was named in his honour.
A celebration of life will be held at 1 p.m. Friday in the White Family Funeral Home in Kentville.
