MARCH 06, 2014
Captain Ressie Taylor, 96 years of age
Jacksonville’s Oldest Living Retiree passed away in the early morning hours of Thursday March 06, 2014
Funeral information is as follows:
Visitation will be Thursday, 13 March 2014 from 5:00 – 7:00pm at
Peeples Funeral Home, 2220 Soutel Dr., Jacksonville, FL 32208
Funeral will be Friday, 14 March 2014 at 1:00pm at the same location.

 

Born on February 8, 1918 in Taylor, Florida (north of Macclenny). Ressie played basketball and graduated from Macclenny High School. While working at Swisher Cigar Factory Ressie met Dorothy Mae, who also worked there. They married on June 25, 1942. They soon adopted a daughter, Barbara. He then enlisted in the US Navy.

After serving in the US Navy, as an engineers mate, he moved back to Jacksonville and went to work with the City of Jacksonville Electrical Department. Ressie soon left the city and went back to work for Swisher Cigars. Ressie then took a test to become a firefighter. Even though the fire department was only paying $150.00 a month and he would take a pay cut, Ressie wanted a 20 year retirement pension.

The test was given and Ressie placed 23 on the list and was hired in September 1945. His first assignment was Station 12 on Hendricks Ave. The station at that time backed up to the Jacksonville Shipyards South Bank.

Ressie remembers his first day on the job his first run was at the shipyards, upon arriving at the scene the fire was in the deep hull of ship and he says he remembers thinking: “I don’t think I’m going to like this job!”

Captain Bishop of Engine 12 moved to Station 4 and convinces Ressie to transfer. After 12 months of “convincing” Ressie transferred to Sta. 4.

For the next 12 years Ressie was the relief Engineer as Eng. Woodrow Fish, Sr. rode as acting Lieutenant “a lot”.
His engine was a American LaFrance, open cab, 2 wheel brake and chain driven.

During that period if you made Lt. you were automatically sent to the Fire Prevention Bureau for an undetermined amount of time. So when Ressie made Lt. that is what happened.

When Ressie made Captain he was roving for quiet a while and then was made Captain at Station 8 on Stockton Street.

When Station 18 was built on Myrtle Ave. Ressie was transferred there and J.B. King was his Engineer. Ressie retired from Station 23 after a total of 40 years of service.

Ressie is very proud when he tells you that the men considered him a hard Captain. He said he never asked his men to do something unless he was there working beside them. He was known as the stove man because on Fridays if you did not clean to stove to his liking he would make you tear it down and do it again.

Ressie says that one of the most memorable fires for him was when he was assigned to Station 4. When the State of Florida was clearing the path for I-95 four 2 story houses caught fire at the same time.

Ressie says that a lot of firemen that considered the fire department as their second job but he ALWAYS made the fire department his first job. Ressie considered Willie Dyal his closest friend on the department.