By day, William Reimer was the New Hope pie-delivery man, making his run to local restaurants before breakfast. By night, he climbed a distinctly different occupational ladder as a founding member of the city's Volunteer Fire Department -- a passion that lasted throughout his long life of community service.
In 1969, Reimer was hired as the New Hope fire chief, and he took his night job full time. After his 25-year stint as chief, he became president of the Minnesota State Fire Chiefs Association, through which he promoted fire safety and legislation before retiring in 1985.
Reimer, 87, died June 22 from pneumonia and kidney failure. Those knew him said he remained active, enjoying his family and firefighting friends, until his last days.
In the basement of a New Hope liquor store that doubled as City Hall, Reimer and about 10 other locals laid the foundation for what became the New Hope Fire Department, a rag-tag crew that eventually grew and merged into the three-station, 70-member West Metro Fire Department.
"He was a part of history," longtime friend and fellow firefighter George Lilley said. "He was a good chief, and he ran things well," showing up at fires no matter how late, and afterward helping prepare the engine for the next run.
Before the volunteers acquired their first firetruck in the early 1960s, the group assisted the Robbinsdale department. New Hope had no fire hydrants, so Reimer's crew bought a gas tanker truck at a junk yard and converted it into a water carrier.
But things changed when Reimer became full-time chief. He got the city to buy firetrucks and even managed to pay his volunteers $1 a fire, Reimer's friend Leon (Doc) Brewer said.
And even though he had to be up and delivering at dawn, he would respond to every call, "to the point where my mom was wondering when he would ever come home," Reimer's daughter Susan Bodin said.
