News

News

Passing of Life Member

Tuesday, February 23, 2021

The Christiana Fire Company is saddened to announce the passing of a very distinguished and long time member of Christiana, Paul Burge. Paul was a very influential member of New Castle County and the longest living member of Christiana! The following is an excerpt from a post made by Chief Emeritus Brian Reeder: “Early today we recieved notice that the longest living member of the Christiana Fire Company had passed away after suffering a medical emergency yesterday. Paul Burge (75+ years) started at the Fire Company at a time when there were predominantly dirt roads in NCC, an active farm on every road you drove on and a rime where the Fire Company often had to hold dinners to raise funding to buy apparatus. Most lot of us would usually listened to Paul talk about how things used to be when he was young and how times changed through his eyes. How he and family lived in the old shannon hotel (across from station 12) while his parents operated a deli on the first floor. He loved Christiana Fire Company and he loved eating tomato sandwiches for lunch but most of all he loved Bettie and his family. Although I along with many are saddened by Paul's passing we are the better for being able to simply have had conversations with Paul and those like Paul that have come before us.” Paul was very much a huge staple towards what built the company to what it is today, and his heart was full of love for Christiana! We ask everyone to keep the Burge family in your thoughts as they proceed through this difficult time!