LOWER WOODS HARBOUR, N.S. — The last fire page has gone out for Gordie Ross.
More than 100 firefighters and emergency personnel from throughout southwestern Nova Scotia, and as far away as Halifax, attended his celebration of life on Oct. 24 at the Woods Harbour Fire Hall, where he was given a sendoff that he would have been proud of.
Chief of the Woods Harbour Shag Harbour Volunteer Fire Department for the past 20 years and a volunteer firefighter for 40 years, Ross, 59, passed away suddenly on Oct. 18.
Ross was remembered as a man who loved his family, the fire service and the community. An avid Boston Bruins fan, Ross also played the game for many years.
“Gordie enjoyed hockey very much” and had a “great passion for the fire department,” said Richard MacAdams, who co-officiated the celebration of life. “To say Gordie will be missed is an understatement.”
Pastor Danny Jack told firefighters that Gordie considered them more than friends and comrades.
“You were family to him,” he said. “He wanted to make sure that his firefighters were safe no matter what was around them, that they were taken care of and well trained. He was not going to ask you to do something you were not comfortable doing with the training level that you had.
"This past week not only the Woods Harbour Shag Harbour Fire Department but the Municipality of Barrington lost one of the top-notch chiefs this area has seen in my eyes," he said. "I know someone will fill the position and they will do a good job, but they will not fill his shoes. They will not be Gordie and they cannot be Gordie.”
Ross – who joined the Woods Harbour Volunteer Fire Department at the age of 19 – was well known throughout the firefighting community.
“Gordie loved being a fireman and took great pride in it. He loved the vehicle extract competitions he attended and training new recruits,” reads his obituary.
He was also well known for his sense of humour by the stories that were shared during the service.
There was also an outpouring of condolences shared publicly on Facebook.
“Been trying to find the words to describe how myself and the rest of the fire service feel right now,” wrote Woods Harbour Shag Harbour firefighter Jared Smith in an online post. “We've lost a leader, mentor, an influencer, and a friend. You always had a story to tell about every scenario, whether it was personal or fire service related. Your sense of humour was always uplifting after the bad calls, and the good.
"It's never going to be the same not seeing you sitting in your chair in the dispatch room or waiting for us to arrive on scene to a fire or accident while you were doing your size-ups," he wrote. "You left a pretty big pair of boots to fill, and no one of us will ever be able to do it. I know you'll be looking over every one of us at the next big one, same as you always did. Until we meet again, Chief. You will be missed.”
Memorial donations may be made to the Woods Harbour Fire Department or the Woods Harbour Playground.
