Memorial of Fire Chief "Bill" Westoff

---

Retired Boone County Fire Protection District Fire Chief William "Bill" Westhoff passed away on October 17, 2023. Chief Westhoff was the first Boone County Fire Protection District Fire Chief. He was instrumental in the creation of the Fire District and provided critical leadership during its development.

---

A funeral service will be held Friday, Nov. 3 at 2 p.m. at Shepherd of the Hills Episcopal Church in Branson for family and close friends. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Firefighters Memorial Foundation of Missouri. To donate visit www.ffam.org/memorial and go to the Donate Now section of the page.

A public fire service memorial for Bill is being planned, details to be announced. Updates will be posted to Bill’s memorial webpage: https://everloved.com/life-of/bill-westhoff/

---

Albert William “Bill” Westhoff, Jr., who spent his life dedicated to the fire service and family, passed away on Tuesday, Oct. 17 in Branson, Mo. He was 83. His enthusiasm and exuberance for family and the fire service were evident to all who knew him.

Bill was born on Nov. 18, 1939, in O’Fallon, Mo. to Albert William Westhoff Sr. and Catherine Elizabeth Griesenauer Westhoff. They preceded him in death. He was raised in O’Fallon, where his father served as fire chief and his grandfather had been the first chief of the O’Fallon Volunteer Fire Company; Bill’s dedication to the fire service was seemingly a birthright. After graduating in 1957 from Duchesne High School in St. Charles, Mo., Bill left O’Fallon to pursue a degree in fire protection and safety from Oklahoma State University. He earned an Associate’s degree in Fire Protection and Safety, then a bachelor’s degree, and in 1963, a master’s degree in Trade and Industrial Education.

Bill held many key positions during his career and had an unwavering passion for his profession. He spent more than four decades as a firefighter, fire chief, instructor, training director, and administrator in Missouri and Oklahoma before retiring.

Following his graduation from OSU, he moved to Columbia, Mo. to begin his career with the Offices of Firemanship Education and Civil Defense Training (later Fire Service Training). He was an early member of the Central Missouri Radio Squad Volunteer Fire Department which later became the Boone County Fire Protection District. There he served as the fire chief from 1968 to 1970, before becoming the first fire chief of the Boone County Fire Protection District from 1970 until 1977. He also served as the chief of the City of Columbia Fire Department from December 1983 to May 1987.

He made an immeasurable contribution to advancing professional fire service standards in Missouri as the Director of the University of Missouri Fire Training Institute. For two decades he traveled to communities across the state to enthusiastically train and teach his fellow firefighters. In addition, he served as the Fire Chief during the Missouri State Fair with an all-volunteer department consisting of members from departments across the state.

He is an honorary lifetime member of the Fire Fighters Association of Missouri and was honored in 2014 with the Phil Sayer Lifetime Achievement Award. He was also presented with the International Fire Chiefs Association Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018.

Bill moved back to Stillwater, Okla. in 1987 where he worked for Fire Protection Publications/International Fire Service Training Association (FPP/IFSTA) and OSU Fire Service training. From 1990 to 1996 he helped establish and was the first Director of the International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC), a peer-driven, self-governing system that accredits both fire service certification programs and higher education fire-related degree programs. Colleagues credited his jovial sense of humor and collaborative marketing skills for bringing IFSAC to fruition. He was honored in 2001 in recognition of his dedication and devotion to IFSAC.

In retirement, Bill founded Fire Wagons, Inc. to design and market specialized fire-fighting equipment. He later established Marina Fire and Safety, designing and marketing small fire wagons for marina use. He often said he never worked a day in his life because his personal and professional interests were the same.

Bill took great pride in seeing the tradition of fire service continue within the family. In 2015, he joined his son, Doug, who serves as Deputy Chief, Boone County FPD, as they watched Dylan Westhoff take the firefighter’s oath for USAF in San Angelo, Texas. Dylan represents the fifth-generation Westhoff in the fire service. That dedication and devotion extended to his family as well.

Bill is survived by his wife of 34 years, Elaine of Branson, Mo.; his sister, Barb Dallen of St. Peters, Mo.; children Donna Westhoff of Columbia, Mo., Doug Westhoff (Tracy) of Columbia, Mo., Holly Cox (Patrick) of Branson, Mo., Sidney Caldwell (Jerra) of Rose Hill, Kan., Christine Wilson (Mike) of Stillwater, Okla., and Nikki Troia (Vince) of Nashville, Tenn. Bill adored and doted over his 13 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. He also had numerous nieces, cousins, and godchildren that were important in his life.

---