Albert Riippi, former DeKalb fire chief dedicated to his work, family and community, dies at 96

DeKALB – Loved ones and friends are remembering former DeKalb Fire Chief, U.S. Navy veteran and Northern Illinois University football star Albert Riippi as an old-school community man who lived earnestly by the code “service before self.”

Riippi died May 2 at the DeKalb County Rehabilitation and Nursing Center. He was 96.

Those who knew him said he was well known in the community, active in his church and dedicated to service.

Visitation for Albert will take place from 3 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at Anderson Funeral Home, 2011 S. Fourth St., DeKalb, according to his obituary. The funeral service will start at 10 a.m. Wednesday at First United Methodist Church, 321 Oak St., DeKalb. Shortly thereafter, a burial is expected to follow at Fairview Park Cemetery in DeKalb, with full military honors by members of DeKalb American Legion Post 66.

The family is requesting that any memorials in place of flowers be sent to the care of Anderson Funeral Home, P.O. Box 605, 2011 S. Fourth St., DeKalb, IL 60115.

“He always would do anything for anybody and everybody. He was a real low-key person. He didn’t want any attention brought up on himself. He served our country in World War II and never touted about that, [and] had a great football career.”

—  Albert Riippi's son, Steve Riippi

Albert’s son, Steve Riippi said he hopes people will remember his dad for who he was.

“How he raised us kids and the way we turned out, a lot of people said he was old school whether it’s the right way or not,” Steve said. “But he always would do anything for anybody and everybody. He was a real low-key person. He didn’t want any attention brought up on himself. He served our country in World War II and never touted about that, [and] had a great football career.”

Steve said his dad had a deep bond with fellow Navy veterans who served aboard the U.S.S. Columbia CL-56 a Light Cruiser in the South Pacific during World War II. Steve said his dad also enjoyed reconnecting with shipmates at reunions over the years.

“He was proud of his service,” Steve said. “He traveled all over the country for a lot of years.”

Steve said it will mean a lot to him to see his dad receive military honors as part of his funeral service.

“He’s always been a deep believer in serving your country,” Steve said. “The stuff that he saw at war, that is always a very moving moment. What a better way to honor him than to have that.”

Albert’s older daughter Lynn Riippi shared that sentiment.

“That was a very, very, very significant thing for him,” Lynn said. “He was very, very proud of that part of his life. He talked about it frequently. As a family, we’re very proud that he served along with his two brothers in World War II. So very, very proud for that heritage.”

Steve said his dad never forgot where he came from and that’s something he’ll always cherish about him.

“He really loved the city that we lived in,” Steve said. “He’s been here 96 years. My grandfather was here. There’s a longstanding history here. He’s always been proud of that.”

Albert’s younger daughter, Lisa Rosel echoed that sentiment.

“He was born and raised in DeKalb,” Rosel said. “He went to school there and knew everybody in the community, and everybody knew his family. He’s the last of his siblings to pass. So, the Riippi era is over.”

One such thing, Steve said, his dad was most proud of was being part of the 1944 Northern Illinois University football team that went undefeated. He said he and his dad would often a bond over the game, going as far as becoming season-ticket holders for the NIU football program for years.

“He’s always been proud of that 1944 season,” Steve said. “There was a lot of local guys that played. I think there’s only about one of those gentlemen left, and I kind of knew them handful of folks growing up too as a kid and always hearing stories of them talking about it.”

Rosel said it’s clear that football was a huge part of her dad’s life.

“He sure enjoyed his football career and playing in college,” Rosel said. “He was a big guy. He was a tank. So, I don’t think anybody wanted to take him on on the line.”

Albert’s professional football aspirations saw him named 1947 Aurora Clippers most valuable defensive player, according to his obituary. In 1952, he tried out with the Green Bay Packers and pulled an achilles tendon, but play through 1953, ending his career with the Rockford Eagles.

He took that dedication into a career as a firefighter later.

What loved ones remember most about Albert, however, is that is was man devoted to his family and faith first and foremost.

Lynn said her dad was a good provider for her and her siblings, as well as a good husband to her mother, despite having to be on call to respond to calls for service working for the DeKalb Fire Department.

“He was always very cognizant, and he would say this especially in his later years, that respect [was needed] for my mom who had to take over or do things while he wasn’t there,” Lynn said. “He was very cognizant of that, that he wasn’t there all the time, but again DeKalb’s a small community. So, we would go to the fire station and have meals sometimes.”

Rosel said Albert was a big man of faith.

“My parents were faithful parishioners and they each did things over the years for the church, with the church,” Rosel said. “The First United Methodist Church was their church. They were faithful attendants.”

Rosel said her dad took his duty to serve the community very seriously.

“Oftentimes people commented that when they’d be sitting in services on Sunday, he would hear sirens and he would just get up and walk out,” Rosel said. “They all knew he was leaving to go to a fire.”

Lynn remembers her dad as a calm, steady force for her family.

“I think that he had a sense of humor, and he came from a family with a sense of humor,” Riippi said. “I’m 66 but as I get older, I appreciate humor even more.”

Rosel said the fire department had served as a tight-knit community to her family over the years.

“As kids, you would go down and see the firemen and visit them and watch them go down the pole,” Rosel said. “They’d cook big meals. There were activities that the fire department did for families growing up. So, you really did know most of the guys on the shift that he worked with over the years.”

Rosel said her dad always had a strong work ethic and a desire to advance.

Albert climbed the ranks at the DeKalb Fire Department and eventually was promoted from within to fire chief. He served the department for 30 years, including eight years as chief, his obituary reads.

“He was always proud to play a larger role keeping the city safe in the chief’s position before he retired,” Rosel said. “He always felt that he was part of the journey of where they are today and that he left the department well-positioned to continue to provide the same unsurpassed services to the community. He loved and respected every part of the job while never forgetting firefighter traditions.”

DeKalb Fire Department Battalion Chief Luke Howieson said he is glad to have known Albert for 22 years.

“[He’s a] very humble man,” Howieson said. “He didn’t want any recognition. We did recognize him over the years with a few things. We named one of our ladder trucks after him.”

Howieson said he is going to miss being able to sit down and chat with Albert.

“He was the oldest retired fire department member we had,” Howieson said. “He worked with any new firefighters. He went back to the horse and buggy days. He knew all the whole firefighters in town.”

Howieson said it’s clear that Albert had a way with words.

“One of my favorite sayings that he always said is, ‘Firefighters – what we do is we’re just people helping people. We’re nobody to expect until we go out onto a job,’” Howieson said. “That line is really evident of what he believed in, being humble and serving the community.”

Albert’s sharp memory also will be missed, as he remembered much of how the fire department evolved over the years.

“A lot of the guys in the department had a unique bond with him, to get that kind of history,” Howieson said. “There’s just a lot of neat connections to the DeKalb community, that again you just can’t find those people anymore.”

Rosel said she finds comfort knowing that her dad lived a good life.

“There really aren’t men like that anymore – war men, families raised in the Depression,” Rosel said. “These are the guys that came home from the war married, raised their families, gave them their all. They were dedicated. They were happy to just have a job. He always said that the men today aren’t as dedicated as they were. But he just had a very interesting life.”

Howieson acknowledged that it’s a tough time for Albert’s family but said they should feel encouraged.

“I just think they need to know that I think the service he provided to our community and our country, they can be proud of all that,” Howieson said. “They can be proud of how he stayed connected and was able to share all of those experiences with everybody. He was just a unique person.”