Goodbye Johnny

Johnny Carwithen had a pure soul.

His enthusiasm and dedication to the things he loved was truly genuine. Whether it was his Boy Scout troop, the Phillies or Eagles, or Doylestown Fire Company, his love was unbridled.

Never without a wave or smile, he took every task he was given as a quest and made sure it was done, and done right. He didn't care about politics, rivalries (except sports ones), or cliques. If you knew him, he was your friend, without reservation.

My time as Johnny's friend was short, much too short.

I got to know him in 2006 when he was voted into the Doyestown Fire Company as an associate member. He was so proud, so happy. His late father Walter was a past chief of the fire company, and many of the long-time members had known Johnny since he was a kid.

I'm going to miss seeing him come up Printer's Alley, on the way to the firehouse on Shewell Avenue, newspaper in hand, in the morning or not long after the siren had blown for another fire call. Summer or winter, rain or snow, didn't matter, Johnny responded.

He wasn't a firefighter, didn't have the training to get on the trucks he loved to clean so much, but he came. If there was a job to do, he did it, and was so proud anytime someone gave him a "Great job Johnny! Thanks!"

I told him that many times.

In the morning, he'd know what the weather was going to be that day, and he'd share it with you. If the Phillies were playing, he'd be watching or listening to the game and giving updates.

He loved his scrapbooks and photo albums. He loved when there was a mention of anyone or anything about the fire company in a newspaper, would go and get more copies and make sure anyone who wanted a copy got one. And that one would make it in his scrapbook. He loved to share his pictures and the stories behind them with me, as we shared a love of storytelling and photography.

He loved coming on the canteen truck to firegrounds, seeing the men and women he loved doing what they, and he, loved so much - firefighting. It was in his blood.

I'll miss him on fire prevention open house night, when he would help reset the "house fire" for little kids to put out, over and over, that night. I'll miss his help, his enthusiasm, and his spirit.

We can all learn alot from Johnny. He didn't care who liked who or who was mad at who. The politics meant nothing to him. What meant everything to him was the organization, the family that was the fire company, and all the people in it.

He was a gentle, wonderful person.

We miss you more than you can imagine Johnny; the hole will be hard to fill.

I know there are more stories out there, impressions of Doylestown natives who knew Johnny longer than I did. Please, share them in the comments so we all can remember him together.