Fire departments honor Lew Schultz

MILLERTON — A large crowd gathered at the Millerton Fire Department and lined Main Street Sunday afternoon to mourn the passing of Lewis Schultz.

Schultz, 79, died at Hartford Hospital last Wednesday, Jan. 21, after a brief illness. He was born in North East in 1929 and lived in Millerton his entire life, where he devoted 61 years of service to the Millerton Fire Department. His first wife, Elizabeth, died in 1976. For many years he owned and operated Schultz Electric in Millerton. In 1978 he remarried the former Sylvia Simonson, who survives at home. Survivors include seven children, 15 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

The funeral service was conducted at the Millerton Firehouse on Century Boulevard last Sunday, Jan. 25, at 1 p.m. Members of local fire departments, friends and family all gathered to pay their respects to Schultz.

David Schultz, Lewis’ son and fellow Millerton firefighter, spoke of the daily rituals his father had.

"Every morning he would go to the Sunoco station for a breakfast sandwich," he said. "I would see his truck parked outside, and if for some strange reason it wasn’t there, it would be at the firehouse. Today his truck is still out there, crooked, which is how he always parked it. It’s a great privilege and an honor to stand here."

Lewis’ widow, Sylvia, was seated in the front row, and Schultz spoke to her when he said that his father was a lucky man to have two great loves in his life. As he walked back to his seat they embraced.

Fellow fireman and friend Dave Van DeBogart also spoke.

"He was my friend for 49 years," he said. "There’s a saying that older members [of the firehouse] are the backbone. Lew was the whole anatomy."

Schultz had many hobbies, including a bowling league that he sponsored and played in. He also loved horse shoes and golf in his later years. As a teenager he played basketball for both Millerton and Pine Plains teams. He was known to be found in the Webutuck stands, cheering on his grandchildren. Several people spoke of his love of New York professional teams, including the Knicks, Mets and Jets.

He joined the fire service in 1948 and held several positions, including assistant chief and master pump operator.

"Nobody drove or pumped water like Lew Schultz," Van DeBogart said. "If you learned from Lew, you learned from the best."

"He encouraged, inspired and influenced generations of firemen," his son, David, said. "He never put his personal feelings in the way of volunteering."

Many attendees cried when resident Dick Dineen rose to tell the story of when Schultz rescued him from Rudd Pond on Jan. 21, 1991.

"I’d fallen through the ice, and Lew came by with his truck. He had a ladder with him, and he pushed it out on the ice. He kept yelling for me to grab hold, but I was too far gone. Lew got down on the ladder and kept inching forward. As he moved closer and closer to me, the ice around me started to break, but he wouldn’t give up. He risked his life to save me, and I have had an additional 18 years of life thanks to that man there," he said, motioning to the casket. "I owe him my life. Thank you, Lewie."

"Whether you were 6 or 16, Lew treated you with the same kind of respect," Van DeBogart concluded. "This loss is immeasurable, and this firehouse will never be the same."

Following the funeral service, Schultz’s casket was lifted onto the Millerton firetruck, and all attending firemen and family marched down Main Street, where the Copake and Sharon firetrucks had arranged their bucket ladders to hold a large American flag over the street. The procession moved to Irondale Cemetery, where Schultz was interred.

"He loved you all," Sylvia said, crying as she passed through the lines of saluting fireman.

Current Fire Chief Jason Watson struggled to find his words when asked how he would like Schultz to be remembered.

"We lost a friend, a mentor, a brother and a leader," he said simply, once he found his voice.