Ocean City, Laurel firefighter remembered

Sun burst through thick clouds just as mourners entered St. Philips Episcopal Church in Laurel.

And soon after the memorial procession with his urn on a ceremonial fire truck passed beneath the huge American flag and into the Laurel Fire Hall, laughter dried tears.

Howard Alan Schweitzer would have wanted it that way.

"He was a lively, happy person," said Sherry Williamson, an honor guard out front at St. Philips with members of the Hogs & Heroes Foundation of motorcycle riders. "It's been rainy or drizzly all day, and it seems that he opened up the clouds and let the sun out. It made me happy."

Schweitzer, a firefighter, paramedic, family man and newly elected member to the Laurel Town Council was eulogized Wednesday, April 26 at a memorial service at St. Philips.

A service of remembrance followed at the fire hall where comrades in Ocean City and Laurel shared memories about life in the profession with one of the nicest "brothers" in their ranks.

Schweitzer's sudden death April 20 in a vehicle crash on a Delmarva roadway left many in the region grieving and in shocked.

BACKGROUND: Firefighter's service, enthusiasm recalled after fatal crash

His death came weeks before his set retirement after 15 years at the Ocean City Fire Department where he was a firefighter and a paramedic.

Schweitzer also was an active member of the Laurel fire company, where he'd served 27 years. He was also safety officer at the Sussex County Technical Rescue Team that assists firefighters on operation safety.

"His background and good eye and temperament made him good for the job," said Cotton Collins, task force leader on the team. "He had so much talent."

Schweitzer ran unopposed in the recent municipal election for a seat on the Laurel Town Council. He was sworn in three days before he died.

"He was looking forward to joining us around the table," said Laurel Mayor John Shwed in an interview.

It would have been Schweitzer's second stint on the Town Council. He was appointed to the council and served three years in the mid-2000s.

"This is a big loss to all of us. He was very active, enthusiastic and particularly reliable," Shwed said.

Hundreds of firefighters and emergency services personnel from companies across Delaware, Maryland's Eastern Shore and elsewhere attended services.

They remembered him as a devoted husband to his wife and high school sweetheart, Jennifer, and a loving and doting father to daughter Beth Tyler and grandson Toby.

"To say that I was a daddy's girl would be an understatement," Beth had told the church audience. "He was there for every concert or game to support me."

And Schweitzer loved the races, his Harley-Davidson, beer brewing and his church, she said.

He loved firehouses and his comrades so much that many family outings "were put on hold if there was a fire alarm," Beth said, with a laugh.

Ryan Whittington of the Ocean City Fire Department referenced Schweitzer's badge number when talking about the void his friend will leave with the group.

"In the coming days and months, coming to work won't be easy because 7424 won't be coming to work," he said. "He was a brother we loved and respected."

The Rev. Howard Backus at St. Philips told the church audience that "Alan was God's beloved."

God "did not lose him in giving him to us," Backus said. "We shall not lose him in his return" to God.

Sunny stories about Schweitzer filled the fire hall with laughter, like the one Laurel chaplain Brian Whaley told:

Schweitzer was a 35-year-old accountant when he joined the Laurel crew, "and with soft hands, we doubted that he'd ever get into the trenches," Whaley said.

"Boy, were we wrong," he said.