Veteran firefighter left lasting legacy
LETHBRIDGE – John Wagontall left a legacy that will last long after his passing.
The veteran Lethbridge firefighter died Sunday, Dec. 18, several years after a prostate cancer diagnosis that was directly connected to his profession. Rather than lie down, Wagontall embarked on a nearly 8,000 km bicycle ride across Canada for awareness.
“He inspired me personally in many ways,” Lethbridge fire chief Richard Hildebrand said Friday, the morning of Wagontall’s funeral. Hildebrand said they didn’t work together directly a lot, but he got to know him better afterwards.
“He was such a fighter. He didn’t for a moment retreat in his battle with cancer. And he didn’t for a moment curl up and retreat and shy away from discussing this. In fact he used his cancer as a motivating force.”