He Was a Fine Man

We are proud to present to you our Tallahassee 200th Anniversary issue. I’d like to acknowledge Visit Tallahassee’s Kerri Post and Doug Alderson, who have been so supportive and generous in providing us with some excerpts from the coffee table book Doug is working on with Visit Tallahassee. Our cover image is a painting by the late Edward Jonas, whose work was dedicated to bringing history alive via portraits of our fine community and lifestyle, one of which hangs in the state Capitol building.

When thinking about Tallahassee’s history, I couldn’t help but think of my father-in-law, T.E. Roberts, and all the contributions he made during his tenure with the Tallahassee Fire Department.

I had the privilege of knowing T.E. Roberts for 34 years, and in all those years, I never saw him in a bad mood or without a smile. He exemplified positivity with his love of life and for the family he worked so hard to support and raise.

At 93 years old, T.E. went into the hospital with heart issues — he agreed to have corrective surgery only to die on the operating table and then be revived. I saw him a few days later, and not to my surprise, he greeted me with a smile and some positive words. About a week later, he quietly passed on, surrounded by his wife of 72 years and his two daughters.

T.E. was born and raised in Sopchoppy and left with his new bride Bettye to come to Tallahassee to begin a new life and create a family. The Tallahassee Fire Department historian, Maurice Majszak, gave a eulogy at T.E.’s funeral and showed his application letter from his HR file. It read:

My reasons for filing this application are: I am a young man who is trying to secure a job with a future that can be depended upon. I feel very capable of holding a position with the Tallahassee Fire Department because of my physical, mental and moral conditions. If securing a job with the Tallahassee Fire Department, I promise to serve to the best of my ability. I am very anxious to learn anything that would be helpful to me and to my friends who I may be helping. I feel sure that the Fire Department is looking for men who are sober, reliable and can be fully depended upon.

During his 39-year tenure, he worked every Christmas for 25 years and opened three fire stations — No. 2 on 6th Avenue, No. 3 on Magnolia and South Monroe, and No. 4 at the airport — while earning $172/month. In 1956, he became a Fuller Brush salesman, working his days off from the fire department, and by 1961, he became the top sales representative out of 36,000 reps in their system. He was promoted to lieutenant in 1962, captain in 1969 and district chief in 1978, serving under three chiefs — Levy, Ragans and Quillin.

He led the charge to hire African Americans and women; raised four children and put them through college; and was a massive FSU fan, attending all home games and taking the family to most away games. He was a brave and modest man … note his comments in an excerpt from his retirement letter in January 1991, and you’ll see the humility that shone in his application letter. He wrote:

Photo courtesy of Brian Rowland

Dear Chief Quillin, it is with humility, thankfulness and genuine emotion that I submit my resignation to you, effective 7:00 p.m. Jan. 31, 1991. I am humbled when I think of the opportunities that have come to me as a result of my service with this Fire Department. I am so truly thankful as I consider how much I have learned, all the friends I have made, as well as the chance it has afforded me to have a financially secure retirement. (…) In my excitement and anticipation for my new life, I know that I will miss my work here and I am sad that I shall not have more days to work with you. The brief time we have spent together has been quality time, and I feel that I have found a wonderful friend.

Tallahassee lost one of our unsung heroes on Jan. 28, 2024. He professionally, selflessly and quietly protected our citizens and community from the hazards of fire, and we live in a better and safer community today because of his presence and years of service.

He attended all the retirement luncheons — you can learn more about those and the history of the Tallahassee Fire Department on pg. 38.

I am proud and grateful for the privilege and opportunity to have known my father-in-law for 34 years, who I knew 12 years longer than my own father.

I trust you will enjoy this issue, and when Doug’s book is available, I’ll let you know, so you and your family can enjoy it for generations to come.

Best,

Brian Rowland, Publisher
browland@rowlandpublishing.com