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Islanders honor Frank WilsonStory by Sharon Kivisto
posted 04/13/04
Carlyle and his wife Kate traveled to the San Juans from Colorado for the retirement party. Carlyle remininsced about the years he worked with Wilson. "He has a profound air of acceptance and respect for the people who work with him," he said. "He has an incredible amount of grace."
Beth Gallup (pictured with Jim Ricks) came up from Kent to attend the party. She is a firefighter with the Kent Fire Dept. "Frank has been an inspiration to me," she said. "There are not a lot of people you can say directed your career. Frank did that for me." She gave him a Kent Fire Dept. t-shirt. The comaraderie among the sheriff's office staff, the EMTs and the medical professionals was apparent in the heartfelt words and the humorous gifts. Sheriff Bill Cumming had the crowd laughing, when he explained that Wilson became the EMS Chief because he really wanted to be a deputy and drive fast with lights flashing. He handed him a junior deputy badge and to help him enjoy his retirement, a "Get out of jail free" card. The audience roared when the sheriff noted the card was not transferrable to any other member of the large Wilson clan. On a more serious note, Cumming thanked Wilson for his years of service. "I appreciated that we worked together with just a handshake deal," he said. "We always stayed true to that. We didn't need to have contracts. I always appreciated that."
Dispatcher Bette Weiss told the crowd, the dispatchers appreciated it when Wilson would stop by after a call. She gave him a dispatch vest and a pass granting him access at any hour of the day. Undersheriff Jon Zerby presented Wilson with a blanket designed with the Sheriff's office emblem on it. "We thank you for many years of putting people back together. You were always Johnny on the spot, always there for us," he said.
Wilson's quickness at getting to the scene was commented on by most of the speakers. Tami and Tom Doegnes, and Kathleen Wilson sang a song about black and white van shoes which Wilson took to wearing to shave seconds off his response time. WIlson's daughter, Molly Finch, said her dad drove her to her first job. She worked at Roche Harbor when she was 12 years old. Sometimes they'd turn on the flashing lights on the early morning drive, she said. Finch put together a slide show illustrating Wilson's work with the emergency services since it began in 1980. He worked part-time as EMS Chief and full time at Friday Harbor Sand " Gravel until 1990. That year, EMS was transferred to the hospital district and Wilson became a full-time chief.
Paramedic Weyshawn Koons said dispatch never heard "EMS 1 enroute" instead it was always "EMS 1 arrived. " On the rare occasion someone else arrived first, the patients would ask, "Where's Frank?" They noticeably relaxed when he arrived. "You could almost hear them say 'All is well'," she said. "You are a leader of men and women," Koons told Wilson. "We all follow you, even the ones of us who don't usually do much following." She reminisced about seeing Wilson in the sleet directing traffic with no socks on. He always did whatever needed to be done, she said. Putting victim's family member's cars into the ferry line. Taking a pet to a shelter.
"You have a steady hand and an open heart," she said. "You are my hero." Koons and the EMTs gave Wilson a prescription for his retirement - a gift certificate from Cabellas. Colin Sandwith presented the last gift and a speech which brought tears and laughter. He made Wilson an honorary Sandwith. "You saved my dad's life and you saved my mom's life," he said. As thanks, Wilson received the ultimate gift - a key to Mildred Sandwith's freezer. |
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