Longtime Hopatcong Firefighter Terwillegar Dies

Dick Terwillegar, a former captain of and a 25-year borough employee died on Wednesday. Terwillegar, who died after a battle with several illnesses according to his obituary, was 76.

Along with being a 37-year life member of the fire department, Terwillegar was a member of the National Guard and the Hopatcong Ambulance squad, his obituary said.

Hopatcong Fire Chief Wade Crowley said the dedication that Terwillegar, and those who served during the time period when he was most active, showed true dedication.

"They amaze me," Crowley said. "They didn’t have airpacks in that day. The health hazards they expose themselves to, constant smoke inhalation; the dedication to do it for that long in those conditions is amazing.

"The conditions now, we have airpacks, we understand a lot better with training. There is a lot of training now. We can recognize bad situations. They learned by going through bad situations. We learned by what they did."

Terwillegar obituary described him as a perfectionist in all he did, and spoke of his love for the fire company, deep sea fishing, and wood working.

Visitation will be held at Leber-Lakeside Funeral Home in Landing on Friday from 3 to 9 p.m., with fireman services taking place at 8.

The funeral will take place on Saturday at 11:30 a.m. at Leber-Lakeside Funeral home, with internment following at Andover Cemetery on Andover-Mohawk Road in Andover.