Longtime firefighter dies at 71
CENTER TWP — A man who loved just about everything related to fire fighting spent his last few hours at his community fire department Tuesday.
William “Bill” Voegler, 71, died of a heart attack he suffered while inside the Unionville Fire Department — a department in which he’s served just about every role imaginable since he joined in 1969.
“He was the epitome of what a firefighter is all about,” said John Stokes, president of the Butler County Fire Chiefs Association.
“He was always helping the community, helping his fellow firefighters, helping train the fellow firefighters and making sure they all went home safely,” Stokes said.
Voegler first joined the Mars Volunteer Fire Department in 1958. And more than a decade later, in 1969, he joined Unionville Volunteer Fire Department, where he held many titles, ranging from driving the truck to chief. He served on the dive team and fought fires. He’s even done maintenance when needed.
“He would just take it upon himself,” said Chief Greg Brewster. That’s what he lived for ... firefighting and especially safety and looking toward the future of firefighting.”
Voegler also was active in the chiefs’ association and he was a certified fire instructor at the Public Safety Fire Training Facility at Butler County Community College.
“Bill was in the middle of everything that was the Butler County fire service,” Stokes said. “He’s been a part of everything from the time I knew him.”
Mark Lauer, former chief at Unionville, said, “He helped mold me and he helped mold so many other young men and women in the fire service today. He taught so many people and probably saved many more through his teachings.”
Lauer said what he’ll remember best about Voegler is “his knowledge, his booming voice and his passion ... that’s how you have to describe him: Passionate for love, life and the fire service.”
Brewster said fire officials are looking into Voegler’s activities at the time of his heart attack to determine if he died in the line of duty.
Voegler’s obituary asked that contributions be made to the Unionville Presbyterian Church or the Unionville Volunteer Fire Department.
