Bob Tapak, who served as fire chief in Tecumseh and Maidstone, as well as deputy fire chief in Windsor, died Feb. 21 at the age of 77. (Submitted by Ken Tapak)
Bob Tapak, who served as fire chief in Tecumseh and Maidstone, as well as deputy fire chief in Windsor, has died at the age of 77.
Tapak died Friday morning at home, according to his son Ken Tapak, just two weeks before his 78th birthday.
"His first retirement from Windsor was in June 1995," said Ken. "Six months after he retired from Windsor, Maidstone gave him a call."
Tapak served as Maidstone's fire chief for about five years and saw the department through its amalgamation with Lakeshore. After his retirement, Tecumseh came calling — which was also looking for a fire chief.
"He ended up doing five years and five months in Tecumseh," said Ken.
One of Tapak's most significant calls-to-action came in September 1999 during the Highway 401 fog crash.
"It was a rough day on him," said Ken. "With the 20-year anniversary that just hit, it affected him. He had a lot of feelings about that day with what everybody went through — not just his citizens, but his firefighters and his officers and all the other emergency services."
"He was very emotional about that day. It took a lot out of him."
Tapak was also part of a contingent of firefighters who provided aid in Detroit during the July 1967 riots. According to his son, attending to that scene got him in a lot of trouble with his wife.
"He told mum it was not voluntary. It was mandatory he had to go. She found out years later that he did it on his own to help," said Ken, adding his father was his "best friend."
"Dad was always a firefighter first, a husband and then a father after... he was a fantastic dad."
Tackling fires runs in the family
During the Highway 401 crash in 1999, Tapak was joined at the scene by his son Ken, now 44, who was serving as a volunteer firefighter at the time.
Ken said the experience of working under his father was "amazing."
"My dad's leadership skills were second-to-none," said Ken. "He wouldn't ask any of his guys to do anything he wouldn't do himself."
Jamie Waffle, Windsor fire's deputy chief of operations, said Tapak was a "very-well respected member of the fire service."
"Our retirees tend to stay in touch and Bob was certainly one of those retirees that liked to stay in touch with the fire service," said Waffle.
"He's certainly a good husband and a great father to his kids ... He was a great firefighter right from day one."
Link to original article on cbc.ca: Retired Tecumseh, Maidstone fire chief Bob Tapak dead at 77