Retired Danbury Fire Department Assistant Chief Eugene “Gene” Singer, 78, of Danbury died November 4 following a long illness. He was born January 17, 1938, in Danbury, and was the son of the late Mary (Edgett) and John Singer.

Chief Singer leaves behind two daughters, Dawn Singer, and her significant other Hans Williams, of Newtown and Doreen Filgate, and her husband Jim, of Woodbury; a son, Dean Singer, and his wife Laurie, of Danbury; and his grandchildren, Tyler, Trevor, and Georgia Belot, Michael, Ryan, Brenna, and Benjamin Singer, and Abigail Gumpright.

He attended St Peter’s School and graduated from Danbury High School in 1956. He earned an associate’s degree in fire technology and administration from Norwalk Technical College, received a Connecticut Board of Education Teaching Certificate, and was an instructor at the US Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, Md.

A veteran of the US Navy, he served aboard the USS Coates during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Chief Singer was a lifelong firefighter, joining Wooster Hose Volunteer Fire Department in 1956, and then becoming a career firefighter with Danbury Fire Department in 1966. He was promoted in 1974 to Lieutenant; in 1984 to Captain; and then Assistant Chief in 1993, before retiring in 1998.

He was the recipient of the Illinois Fire Inspectors Association’s Spark Plug Award in 1981, named Connecticut Public Fire Educator of the Year in 1982, and the International Management Council’s Firefighter of the Year for 1982/1983. He was also awarded several Danbury Fire Department honors, including four Unit Citations, an Honorable Service Award, an Education Award, and Firefighter of the Year Award.

Graveside funeral services and burial will take place Monday, November 9, at 11 am, in St Peter Cemetery, Danbury. The family will receive friends in the Jowdy-Kane Funeral Home, 9-11 Granville Avenue in Danbury, on Sunday, November 8, from 2 to 5 pm.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer's Association Connecticut Chapter, 200 Executive Boulevard, 4th Floor, Southington CT 06489 or www.alz.org/ct.