Each passing holiday season and new year, I often reflect on my life during the past year. It is with a heavy heart that I look back on 2011.

Three close members of my family passed away in 2011. That family of which I speak is the firefighting family here in town. Everyone who is a part of this group knows and feels that we are one big family.

When I joined this family in 1980, I was a gung-ho kid who knew he wanted to work his way up the ranks and be chief someday. There were many leaders in the fire service throughout town whom I looked up to and tried to learn from as time went on. Sure, we attended drills and answered many alarms together. But we also attended many meetings, picnics, banquets, dinners, parties and conventions together, which is what really brings us all together as a family. Sadly, three men who were instrumental in shaping my life, not only as a firefighter and fire chief but also as a father and a husband, passed away in 2011.

Each year we gather to remember our fellow firefighters who have passed away the previous year. As I reflected on 2011, I wanted to pay special tribute to these men who gave so much of themselves to our town through the fire service and were a big part of our family.

So to Bud from Bellevue, Vince from Forks, Bob from U-Crest, and also Roman from Hy-View, thanks for your leadership, wisdom and dedication, but most importantly, thanks for your friendship, and thanks for the memories.

Roger McGill Jr.

Bellevue firefighter