Fallen Comstock Twp., MI, Fire Chief Remembered with Statue
It was a bittersweet moment Saturday, as the Comstock Township Fire Department celebrated their 100th anniversary, but also remembered the loss of beloved Fire Chief Edward Switalski with the unveiling of a statue.
Switalski, was struck at an emergency scene on a highway in June 2017.
“Today we come together to acknowledge Ed’s legacy, we gather in love and friendship for a man that touched us all,” Switalski's widow, Holly, told WoodTV.com. “Eddy, you are missed, you are loved, we honor you and we will never forget you.”
Sculptor Joshua Diedrich created the statue with input from many, to honor a man loved by all.
“We spent a lot of time going back and forth talking to his friends and family and making sure that it really felt like him,” Diedrich told the television station. “Not just looked like him but really felt like him, really had his personality, his posture, his stance and wanted to make sure that it just had as much of him preserved in that bronze as we possibly could.”
The statue was funded by donations from the community.
“He selflessly served the community; he was doing one of the things that he loved in life, and he ultimately lost his life in the line of duty," Fire Chief Matt Beauchamp said. "Being able to take time to respect that, reflect on that for those that had relationships with Ed to be able to honor it in essence in some ways."
