For 27 years, John Ostergard helped his Olympia community without getting paid.
On Tuesday, members of the community he served paid him back with a procession through the streets of Olympia. Ostergard died Sunday after suffering a medical emergency while fighting a fire near Yelm last Friday.
He worked as a heating and air conditioning technician but volunteered for East Olympia Fire District Six in his spare time. Ostergard was also the President of the Washington State Firefighter’s Association.
After his organs were harvested, firefighters moved his body from St. Peter Hospital in Olympia to a funeral home in Tumwater. The route was lined with first responders who worked with Ostergard.
“Always known John to be a super, super guy,” said Bill Slosson, from the state’s fire marshal’s office. “Losing John is a huge loss to the local fire community and the statewide fire community.”
A memorial service for Ostergard will be held in January.