The Chilton County Volunteer Firefighter’s Association handed out several honors during its annual banquet on Jan. 15, including its firefighter and paramedic of the year.
Lynn Gothard was named the association’s firefighter of the year, which was an honor handed out in memoriam of Gothard, who died in 2019 after years of service.
Gothard was a fixture at West Chilton Volunteer Fire Department for decades since he first began taking calls with his grandfather Howard Gothard in 1978. He was known as “Uncle Leonard” by his fellow firefighters.
“The ones that knew him knew that he had a servant’s heart,” said Christy Holcombe, who worked with Gothard at West Chilton Fire Department.
That was evident in the way Gothard also spent time volunteering with the Jemison Fire Department and with the Jemison Police Department. However, he is best known for his time at West Chilton, where he spent 41 years, including time as chief of the station.