SOUTH NEW BERLIN – On Saturday, lifelong resident of the South New Berlin area Ellery “Doc” DeBoer – known across the county and state for his dedication to local fire departments and the Chenango County Fire Police Association – passed away at the age of 77 in Binghamton General Hospital.
Born in the Town of Butternuts in 1935, Doc lived his entire life in South New Berlin, graduating from the South New Berlin High School, according to his obituary, which appeared in Tuesday’s edition of The Evening Sun. He worked for more than 20 years with Norwich Oil and the Mirabito Fuel Group, retiring as a supervisor. Most recently, Doc was employed as a security guard for the Amphenol Corporation in Sidney.
Doc was, according to his obituary, a “familiar sight at any fire department function or community event,” and an active life member of the South New Berlin Fire Department, holding a number of offices over the decades and its current Fire Police Captain. He was also a member of the Firemen’s Association of the State of New York and was recently recognized at the Chenango County Fire Police Association’s annual awards ceremony for his 59 years of service with the South New Berlin Fire Department.
Said one fellow firefighter, “We have lost a friend and a lifetime member.”
South New Berlin Fire Chief Kevin Christian called Doc’s death “a big loss,” considering his decades of service to the community and the county, and said he was “an all around good guy,” extremely dedicated to all the area’s fire departments.
Added Christian, “He’s going to be missed very much and it will be hard to replace a lifetime member like that.”
According to City of Norwich Police Chief Joseph Angelino, Doc was instrumental in the safety of county residents, whether that was at the scene of an accident or fire, or volunteering at local events such as Colorscape Chenango, the Gus Macker 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament, the Parade of Lights, Chenango County Fair and the Rolling Antiquer Antique Car Show and Flea Market. According to Doc himself, at the recent Chenango County Fire Police Association’s annual awards ceremony, the group typically participates in twelve to thirteen details each year, saving the city thousands of dollars securing accident scenes, controlling traffic and aiding in crowd control.
“That man was devoted to the community; he was at every event and he gave so much to the community, not just South New Berlin but to the county and the City of Norwich, what with all the events we have here,” added Angelino. “I thank his family because I know he was away from them a lot. He is irreplaceable ... that community-mindedness, that’s a generational-type thing that we probably won’t see again for a long time, if ever.”
Peggy Finnegan, executive director for Colorscape Chenango, said she’s worked closely with Doc for many years.
“Probably fifteen years or more, I would say,” she added. “He was always just a great guy. He was cooperative and easy to work with ... just a really, really nice man. We’re really going to miss him, he’s been part of this community for so many years, working with the fire police and in so many other ways. I think a lot of people are going to miss Doc.”
Said City of Norwich Emergency Management Officer A. Jones, also chief dispatcher at the Chenango County Sheriff’s Office, “He was involved with the fire police for many, many years and even if people didn’t know his name, they knew his face from any of our local major events. He will be greatly missed. He was kind of an icon in the fire police world.”
Those interested should consider memorial contributions to the South New Berlin Fire Department, South New Berlin, NY 13843.