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Firefighter sought excellence in all he did |
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Family
of Dennis Williams, Washington Township Fire Department captain, say he
approached life with passion. WASHINGTON — If there is one thing Dennis Williams did consistently throughout his life, whether it was as father or as a firefighter, it was act with passion. Dick Williams, who had the difficult job of eulogizing his son this week, said passionate living drove every aspect of the Washington firefighter's life, which was cut short at the age of 39 on April 29 when he was killed by a dump truck on Route 29. "He cared so passionately about everything and I think it's what drove him to be a terrific father and a fireman," Mr. Williams said on Tuesday from his West Windsor home. When Dennis set his mind to something, he not only accomplished it but doggedly pursued excellence, Mr. Williams said. He laughingly speculated that is why Dennis took up fishing. "It was something he could do so much better than I could," Mr. Williams said. The longtime fisherman spent many hours out on a boat, cruising for his next big catch. Mr. Williams said his son loved the peacefulness of the open water and the opportunity fishing afforded him to spend time with friends, many of whom he had been buddies with for 30 years or more. Like her father-in-law, Dennis' wife, Lisa Williams, recalled her husband's determination, which she said influenced his personal life as well. She noticed that when the couple first met while Dennis was on a date with his girlfriend in the early 1990s. "They broke up the same night and we moved forward from there," Mrs. Williams of Hamilton Square said. The couple married in August 1992. That same year Dennis told his wife that he wanted to be a firefighter. "It was his new year's resolution that year," Mrs. Williams recalled. Mrs. Williams said her husband was enticed by the prospect of working as a firefighter after he encountered a fire while working as a painter at the Jersey Shore that year. She said he entered the house and saved people from the fire. Capt. Williams' aspiration of being a firefighter became a reality in 1993 when he joined the Washington Township Fire Department as a volunteer. Within four years he was a full-time staff member and eventually was promoted from lieutenant to captain. Mrs. Williams said her husband excelled at the dangerous work because he stayed even-tempered regardless of the situation. She recounted a situation several years ago when Capt. Williams responded to a case where a wife had been stabbed by her husband. The man then drove the knife into his own body, which is how Capt. Williams found him. Mrs. Williams said her husband persuaded the man to pray so he would clasp his hands together away from the knife, which allowed firefighters to secure the scene and save the couple's lives. Capt. Williams later was recognized by the state and county for his work that night. "He was driven to be a fireman by the idea of community service," Mr. Williams said. "I think that's one of the things he certainly learned from his mother and his grandparents, the importance of community service. He grew up watching his grandparents be very involved and that's one of the things that pushed him." Capt. Williams took his community service a step further by participating in various educational activities, such as talking to area students about fire safety. Mr. Williams remembered that his son's face came alive when educating the students about stop-drop-roll. His fellow firefighters also credit him with implementing Vial of Life in Washington. The program has participants store a small vial in their refrigerator with important information about medical histories and medications. In an emergency the information would be readily available. Capt. Williams' commitment to his job did not stop him from devoting full attention to his main priority, his family. The couple have two young sons, 8-year-old Morgan and 7-year-old Dylan. The boys were the center of Capt. Williams' life, his father said. "He was so dedicated to those boys," Mr. Williams said. "I almost wonder if Dennis had a premonition about this (accident that took his life). He worked so hard to make them understand the life lessons they need, even if it wasn't always age appropriate." Specifically Mr. Williams recalled that Capt. Williams taught Morgan to play chess several years ago. Capt. Williams made sure Morgan shook the hand of his opponent after a game, especially when it was his grandfather. Mr. Williams said his son did that to pass on the lesson of respect to his children. At Capt. Williams' funeral on Monday, his father acknowledged that his son was "little bit rough around the edges" and was bluntly truthful with people. On Tuesday he dubbed that characteristic Capt. Williams' best quality. "He cared about things so much. Sometime he would be at cross purposes with the people he worked for and he would stand up for what was right," Mr. Williams said. "But everyone realized that his concerns were based on principle and they respected the way he went about telling the truth." |
Visit the Dennis Williams online memorial here