Funeral service held for former Hamilton fire chief

Funeral services were held Monday morning for Hamilton’s former fire chief.

Donald Lickert died at his home May 8. He was 82.

Lickert was fire chief in Hamilton from 1983 until 1991, when he retired. He served in the department for a total of 30 years.

“He was actually the fire chief that hired me,” current Hamilton Fire Chief Steve Dawson said. “I served under him for approximately eight or nine years and he had a very, very good reputation. His reputation was not only great as a chief but also as a firefighter.”

The Hamilton Fire Department Honor Guard served as pallbearers at Lickert’s funeral. He was laid to rest with military honors at Greenwood Cemetery.

Lickert was hired at the Hamilton Fire Department in 1961. He gained respect early from those he worked with as he learned the streets of the entire city to qualify to drive a fire truck.

From there he was promoted to lieutenant, then captain and eventually deputy chief, which led to an opportunity in arson investigation.

In September 1983, Lickert became fire chief and served in that capacity until he retired in 1991.

He is credited with being a driving force that helped develop the Hamilton Professional Firefighters IAFF, Local 20, and with the creation of the Hamilton Firefighters Clubhouse Association.

Lickert was also active in Hamilton’s Operation Pumpkin, and many other outreach endeavors around the city. He was a 1952 graduate of Hamilton High School and also served his country. He joined the Army in 1953 and served in Korea as a helicopter mechanic. After being honorably discharged in February 1955, he went to work at Ford Motor Company.

Lickert is survived by two sons, Greg of Cincinnati and Jeff of Atlanta, as well as two grandchildren.

About the Author