04/07/2020
A Life of Service
Picture Rocks lost a pillar of the community last week with the passing of Charles “Chuck” Hay. He was instrumental in the formation and continuation of the Picture Rocks Fire District. He served this area for decades in many fashions ranging from Assistant Chief and Fire Chief to board member in the agency he helped create. He had a distinguished career with the Tucson Police Department and retired from being a police officer, only to continue his public service in fire and EMS. He served his country as well in the Navy making him one of the few people to serve in law enforcement, fire/EMS and military service. It is impossible to tell how many lives he impacted in such an array of public service, needless to say it is a lot and we mourn his loss. In such a trying time with a global pandemic we can thank Chief Hay for his vision, dedication and hard work to create a system where the residents of this community have the help they deserve only seconds to minutes away. We in the fire service are a family, and the passing of Chief Hay will not go unnoticed nor unrecognized. Trailblazing individuals like Chief Hay make our world a better place and we hope that the knowledge of his accomplishments and the fruits of his labor will help assuage the families sadness. There is much to rejoice about, and be proud of with Chief Hay and all that he struggled to achieve. His Navy SeaBee motto of “CAN DO!” followed with him through his life here and we sure thank him for that. I would like to think that in all this COVID19 mess, maybe the big guy upstairs needed someone with that “CAN DO!” attitude and experience and Chief Hay will be there, ready to give and serve as usual. Thank you Chief Hay, you will be missed.
