William E. Yurchak

William E. Yurchak, 35, of Pittston, died Tuesday morning at his home.
Born in Wilkes-Barre, he is the son of the Patricia Spring Yurchak & Eugene Yurchak.
He was a graduate of Meyers High School, Wilkes-Barre and Wilkes-Barre Area Vo-Tech, Class of 1991. He attended Luzerne County Community College and Harrisburg Area Community College. Bill was an SPC 4 Army Medic Reservist serving with the 339th Combat Support Hospital Detachment # 1, Harrisburg and was employed as an EMT with West Shore EMS and Camp Hill EMS, Camp Hill, Pa. He was an Honorary Member of Camp Hill Fire Department, Camp Hill, PA.
Surviving in addition to his parents are his wife the former Michelle Eaton, Pittston; sons, William, Jr., Jean Luc and Christopher Yurchak, all at home, and Jonathan Yurchak, son of Melissa Musser of Enola, PA; brothers, Harold Yurchak, Wilkes-Barre; and sister Mary Vital, Wilkes-Barre Township.
Funeral services will be held from the Corcoran Funeral Home, 20 South Main Street, Plains on Saturday at 3 p.m. with Pastor Jerry Lee Lewis officiating. Interment will be held at the convenience of the family. Friends may call on Saturday from 1 to 3 p.m. www.pennlive.com/obits
Published in the Patriot-News on 2/6/2008.

Edward F. Shuey

Edward F. Shuey, 87, of Camp Hill, passed away Friday, March 21, 2008 in Bethany Village, Mechanicsburg.
Born March 13, 1921 in Hummelstown, PA, he was the son of the late William M. and Mildred G. (Ehley) Shuey, Sr.
He was a U.S. Navy Veteran of World War II, serving in the South Pacific aboard the U.S.S. Oceanographer, mapping reefs and islands in preparation for impending landings. He also spent eighteen months in the South Pacific aboard the U.S.S. Hornet, his ship participated in fifty six engagements with the enemy. He received 8 battle stars in Pacific theatre ribbons, and the Philippine Liberation Ribbon. A life member of the Camp Hill Fire Department, he was Third Assistant Chief, President and Vice President of the Department and Chairman of the Board of the Relief Association. He was retired from Erie Insurance Exchange. He was a volunteer for Holy Spirit Hospital as coordinator and driver for the four wheel drive fleet which transports doctors and nurses during snow emergencies; was a Boy Scout Committeeman, member of Carlisle Fish & Game, Harrisburg Hunters and Anglers Association, Lowther Manor Masonic Lodge #7817 A.M., Erie Insurance Exchange Pioneers, and served on the Inter-company Arbitration Committee, Chairman of the Care Assurance Committee at Bethany Village, member of the International Handgun Metallic Silhouette Association, Scottish Rite, Harrisburg Consistory, and the NRA. He was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church, where he sang in the church choir for many years, and he served as a Republican Committeeman in the First Precinct of Camp Hill.
Surviving are his wife of 63 years, Marcella A. (Elfreth) Shuey; three sons, William M. Shuey III and his wife, Gail of York Springs, David E. Shuey and his wife, Donna of West Chester, PA, and Robert W. Shuey and his wife, Anna of Averill Park, NY; six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by a brother, William "Buss" M. Shuey II; and a sister, Romaine "Sis" Royer.
A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m., on Wednesday, March 26, 2008 in the Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, 2000 Chestnut Street, Camp Hill, with the Rev. Dr. J. Stewart Hardy officiating. Burial will be in the Rolling Green Memorial Park, Camp Hill. The family will receive friends following the burial at the church.
Myers-Harner Funeral Home, 1903 Market Street, Camp Hill, is handling funeral arrangements.
Memorial contributions may be made to Bethany Village, "Care Assurance Program," 325 Wesley Drive, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055. www.pennlive.com/obits

Published in the Patriot-News on 3/23/2008.

3-26-08

Bob Clemm, Driver and Bob Shuey taking Ed for his last ride on Old Engine #2.

Today, we said good bye to a good friend and fellow firefighter, Edward F. Shuey.

Ed as we all knew him by was our oldest living member until he passed away last Friday, March 21^st, 2008.  

Ed lived a good life and enjoyed his time with the Fire Company in which he was a Life Member and held positions of Third Assistant Chief, President & Vice President of the Fire Company and the Chairman of the Fireman’s Relief Association.

Ed was also a member of the Back Row which comprised of older members in the Fire Company and you never tried to sit in his chair or any other Back Row member’s chairs. If a new member did sit in one of the seats, they soon learned why they were asked to move.  Ed will join some of his buddies from the Back Row who have passed before him. 

So, you are asking why this has to do about, “Safety”.  The number of years that Ed spent in the Fire Company and witnessed how safety played an important role in developments of fighting fires and other duties that a Firefighter was called upon to do.   

Ed also worked in the Insurance Business, so he knew how important Safety played in all our lives.  Ed also knew that safety is the most important in a sport of target shooting which he enjoyed and was good at shooting and being safe while using a gun. Of course we learned something about Ed today, the shooting of an Ice Box.  So Ed did learn a good lesson on his own about the safe of handling a loaded gun.   

Ed witnessed a lot of changes in the Fire Company, most for the safety of our members.   

It would have been great to see what advancements were made during Ed’s years in the Volunteer Fire Service, especially through his eyes.

Ed would have seen alerting of the members to fires by a Box Alarm System in the Borough, followed by just a large house siren which rang out and summoned the members.  Later came plectrons, the first radio alerting devices, to personal pagers such as Motorola Minitor I’s which I am sure was Ed’s last type of alerting device. 

Ed would have seen changes in personal protective gear from leather helmets, to metal, then fiberglass and then to the current composite helmets with full skull caps to provide more impact protection.

Ed wore Bunker Gear that changed from Rubber Coated Coats to Cotton Duck Coats and Rubber Boots to Nomex with coat, pants and rubber boots. The last type of Bunker Gear Ed would have seen our members wear would have been PBI which is worn by our members today.  

Ed would have witnessed fighting fire with no breathing devices and then filter type devices which were fine with furnishings made from Cotton, wool, metal and wood.  Changes in newer type of furnishings including polycarbonates and  poly-urethane demanded breathing apparatus to become what is called today’s Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA).     

Fire Apparatus would have gone under major changes during Ed’s time as a member.  Fire Apparatus was smaller when Ed joined the Volunteer Fire Service like old Engine #2 which he drove and each time the Fire Company bought newer fire apparatus it became bigger and heavier.

Older apparatus had a single bench seat and the rest of the members used to ride on the apparatus where they could stand and hang on, mostly on the tailboard.  Additional covered seats on the Fire Apparatus became common to shield the members from elements of weather with seat belts and this finally ended the role of riding the tailboards. Ed then witnessed the delivery of the fully enclosed LDI Engines that one of the Engines was dedicated to him.

Ed would also have seen other safety devices such as hazard detection equipment to detect explosive levels and lighter, stronger ladders and power tools made the firefighter’s job easier and safer.

Every step along the way, Ed sat in the Back Row and I am sure he voted for the safety of our members by providing them with the most up to date safety devices to make sure our lives will be as full as his was.  

We will miss you Ed, your smile, your knowledge and your friendship.  Say “Hello” to all the other Back Row members and tell them thanks for all they did to keep us safe in the past, present and into the future.   

Your name will be always be mentioned from time to time, especially going into our 100^th years of service to our Community.

Remember always, “Ever Willing”, to be trained, to do task safely, to go back home.