Surrounded by friends, family, and brothers and sisters in emergency services, the watch of former Sister Bay/Liberty Grove Fire Chief Chris Hecht ended Friday in Ellison Bay.
The community celebrated Hecht’s life during the funeral led by the Rev. Joanne Skidmore inside the sanctuary of Shepherd of the Bay Lutheran Church.
Firefighters from fire departments across the county lined the walls of the sanctuary, standing alongside other emergency personnel. Others who could not find a seat sat in a side room watching the service on a projector.
Following hymns, prayers and readings from community members, Hecht’s longtime friend took the pulpit to eulogize him, calling it a humbling opportunity and a nearly impossible task to summarize his life.
“Chris cared about people — he sincerely cared about people — and he would ask, ‘How are things going?’ It wasn’t just a blank gesture,” Swain said. “It was from the heart, and you could tell he was truly interested. And because of this, we all found ourselves talking to him about anything.”
Hecht’s successor, Sister Bay/Liberty Grove Fire Chief Michael Goldstone, shared his own memories of his longtime friend, bringing some laughter into an otherwise sullen occasion.
He challenged those in attendance to do as Hecht would have by doing what Door County does best.
“It’s a phrase that captured Chris’ love of the county and of the people within it,” Goldstone said. “We help alleviate the loss of Chris by honoring it in a way that he would have loved. Let us continue to support each other. Let us stand together and help those in need around us.”
Hecht’s family was presented with an American flag and two fire helmets before he received his final page, and his fellow fire chiefs escorted him out of the sanctuary.
A procession of emergency vehicles followed the service. Some in attendance went to the Sister Bay/Liberty Grove Fire Station on Mill Road to share stories of Hecht, while others followed the procession as it continued throughout the peninsula.
The celebration of life came more than a week after Hecht died from complications stemming from a ruptured brain aneurysm last spring.
