(EDITOR’S NOTE: Mark Clifton is a KAA board member, former president of the board, EMT and longtime friend of Rick Albrecht)
By Mark Clifton
The members of the Killingworth Ambulance Association and the entire Killingworth community are grieving at the loss of Richard Albrecht, who passed away last weekend and whose service to the town will be sorely missed.
Many of us considered Rick the town historian for his insight into the annals of Killingworth, its citizens, politics, land transactions and so on — much of which he picked up from his father, Walter, who was also a pillar of the community.
Rick and his Dad committed much of themselves to the Killingworth Ambulance Association, either serving on the board and special committees or responding as EMTs (or first-aiders, as they were known in Walter’s era). Walter was a founding member of the KAA, and both he and his son were lifetime members of the Killingworth Volunteer Fire Co.
The family heritage of community service is today carried on by Rick’s son, Matt, who is active in his community in Maine as a fire fighter and paramedic.
Rick also held numerous positions in town, active not only with the KVCA and KAA but with the American Legion, the Democratic Committee and the Regional Water Authority, to name a few. He was a family man, raising his son alone after losing his wife, Becky, to cancer, and was an avid and supportive member of the Killingworth Congregational Church.
As far back as I can remember, Rick orchestrated the Memorial Day Parade and Memorial Service, held annually on the Congregational Church lawn, and it was a responsibility he held with honor and distinction.
The loss of Rick will certainly have an impact on the KAA because he was one of those guys you could always count on. No matter if it was during the work day or in the middle of the night, he would respond to the calls of those in need. In fact, he responded to upwards of 50 percent of the ambulance calls and was always within the top three responders for the year.
His loss leaves a huge void, but, as is the nature of our volunteer responders, we will rally to fill it — with the KAA offering Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) training for those interested in joining our service.
The KAA dressed in memory of Rick Albrecht
(EDITOR’S NOTE: Dan O’Sullivan is the KAA board president, an EMT and a friend of Rick Albrecht)
By Dan O’Sullivan
Rick Albrecht served the town in many ways for many years. One of those ways was as an EMT for the Killingworth Ambulance Association, where he was a stalwart helping us to respond to calls at all hours for decades.
His dedicated service is a testament to his compassion for others and devotion to the town. Rick and his family are in our thoughts and prayers.
We are flying the flag at the ambulance building at half-staff and have dressed the headquarters in crepe in honor of Rick and all those he helped in town through his years of service with his work on the ambulance.
