Ingham Township Fire Chief Tim Whipple, who died Saturday at 55, is being remembered as a dedicated community servant and a leader who inspired his fellow firefighters.
“These guys would follow him to the ends of the Earth because of the amount of trust they had for him,” said Delhi Township Fire Chief Brian Ball, who knew Whipple for 20 years.
Ball said Whipple succumbed to a heart attack Saturday while camping in Frankenmuth. He is survived by his wife of 34 years, Carol, and sons Brandon and Craig, both members of the Fire Department.
Whipple, a Dansville resident, grew up in Mason and graduated from Mason High School in 1979. Kerry Minshall, Mason’s fire chief, had known him since grade school.
“Tim was a great guy,” Minshall said Monday. “His personality filled the room when he came in.” He said the two of them often discussed local issues and served on committees together.
“He made a lot of great changes for Dansville,” Minshall said. "There have been changes in requirements and things that departments do now and Tim was working hard to bring them up to speed.