LAST CALL FOR A BROTHER, A FRIEND, A MENTOR, A LEGEND
“I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I awoke and saw that life was service. I acted and behold! Service was joy!” – Rabindranath Tagore
We buried a brother yesterday and it was a hard day, indeed. A great man, Captain Gerry Spina, passed away at his home last week. And while it is so very difficult to say goodbye to a friend, a loved one, a brother, a mentor… there is so much more than grief and anguish in our hearts today. As we continue to express our deepest sympathy to those closest to Gerry — his wife, his children, his grandchildren — collectively, we feel pride, respect, joy, and gratitude in knowing that Gerry did his best for his family, his community, his students, and his patients.
Gerry Spina dedicated his life to service. A former Navy man, Gerry was a trauma RN, a flight nurse, a firefighter, a paramedic, and a consultant in infusion therapy. Additionally, he had served as a paramedic instructor, fire instructor, and as an instructor in phlebotomy for Gateway Technical College in Kenosha, Wisconsin. For the last several years, Gerry was a Captain in charge of training for the Bark River Fire and EMS Training Consortium — serving as an EMS refresher trainer for the Lisbon Fire Department and the Hartland Fire Department, where it has been my good fortune to have been mentored by him. While in this position, he continued to serve as a firefighter/paramedic for the Lisbon Fire Department.
A man with the passion and talents that Captain Spina possessed will be missed by more than just those who knew him by name and face. The effort that a man like Gerry puts into those he mentors is carried far and away and is utilized by those he has taught on a daily basis. Lives have been saved — and will continue to be saved — because of Gerry Spina’s commitment and appetite for excellence in his work.
Gerry Spina
So it is with heavy hearts and misty eyes that we re-dedicate ourselves to the job, holding Gerry as the example of courage, dignity, merit, and duty. As such, he is the ultimate precedent.
Goodbye, Gerry. Thank you. Few have done more for others… fewer have been so loved. *RESPECT*
God be with you.
Eric Schlehlein, Author 