Members of the Chatham community are mourning the loss of a female fire inspector.
Marlene Juttens-Benoit died suddenly on July 21. She was 55.
She was a full-time fire inspector at Station No. 1 in Chatham. She began her career with the Chatham Fire Department as a dispatcher in 1985, before becoming a full-time firefighter in 1997.
“We've lost a colleague, a friend and in some cases a buddy; and certainly a long-serving officer. (She was the) life of the party,” said Fire Chief Bob Crawford. “Losing somebody with that type of energy, gusto and zest for life, that's a blow to our team. We all want to express our profound sorrow to her husband and five children. This is a dreadful blow to the family, to the fire service and to the community.”
She is survived by her husband Larry, her two children Kathryn and Nicole, and step children Sarah, Josh and Jason.
Visitation was at McKinley Funeral Home on Thursday night. She is being laid to rest on Friday.
