DELPHOS — Retired Shawnee Township firefighter John Truesdale has had two passions in life, painting and firefighting.
That unique combination put him in perfect position for a recent request from the Delphos Fire Department.
Truesdale recently completed a painting that will be permanently displayed at the Delphos Fireman’s Clubhouse Tuesday. The 8-by-12-foot painting was unveiled Tuesday at an annual Christmas party held at the club.
“We left it open for what he wanted to do,” said Delphos Fire Chief Kevin Streets. “He was absolutely spot on. He depicted what we wanted with the painting.”
Truesdale was with the Shawnee Township Fire department for 33 years and was with the Ford Fire and Security team for another 10 years. Though struggling with the onset of Parkinson’s Disease, he was able to complete the painting in about 100 hours over a year and a half period. The painting portrays both the Delphos Fire Department from the early 1900s and the current, more high-tech department responding to a fire. The relic side of the painting shows firemen sliding down poles on their way to a horse-drawn vehicle, while the new side depicts the most recently purchased fire truck with the department. The horse-drawn vehicle depicts Tom, a legendary fire horse in the town many years ago.
“It is the old meeting the new,” Truesdale said. “It is a concept design that has both the old and the new answering a fire call.”
The painting was complete with a fire hose outlining the frame. Truesdale said the hose represented unity among firefighters.
The reaction from the nearly 100 firefighters in attendance was positive, something that Todd Truesdale said he fully expected. Todd is the current fire chief of Shawnee Township and is the son of the painter. Todd is also a painter, saying he picked up the practice from his father.
“It was a good combination because he has an understanding of the job,” Todd Truesdale said. “It’s (the painting) a great thing, and it is something that can be passed on.”
The picture also has the number 343 at the bottom, depicting the number of firefighters lost during the World Trade Center attack. John Truesdale said it is so “people never forget.”
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