Frank Fowlston was known to work as many as 100 hours a week.
That may be why his son, Frank Fowlston Jr., remembers his father as one of the "hardest working men" in his life.
Fowlston, 60, died Monday morning in a fire at his home on 108 County Route 21 in Plymouth, according to Fowlston Jr.
Fowlston was the Chief of the Plymouth Volunteer Fire Department.
Fowlston Jr. said the fire was first reported around 2 a.m. Monday morning at his father's home. There were no other people in the residence at the time of the fire, Fowlston Jr. said.
"He was funny, always liked to smile, joke around," Fowlston Jr. said of his father.
As of Monday evening, the Plymouth Volunteer Fire Department did not release any information and plan to issue a statement in the coming days.
Fowlston served the Plymouth Volunteer Fire Department for 12 years and was very excited to be voted into the position, Fowlston Jr. said.
"He loved everything about the fire department and the service," he said.
He recalls his father always attending parades as a representative of the fire department. He took great care of the fire truck, and taught younger kids about firefighting.
Fowlston's jobs at Deb El Food Products in Sherburne (formerly known as Egg Low Farms) and at the fire department were his main priorities according to Fowlston Jr., who said his father worked in the maintenance department at Egg Low Farms for about 20 years.
"He kept everything running 12-17 hours a day," Fowlston Jr. said.
But he worked hard to care for his family, too.
When Fowlston's daughter, Amy Cox, had her appendix removed, she said her father was by her side the whole time. And when her boyfriend left her when she was eight months pregnant, her father stepped in to buy her groceries and pay her rent.
“If you were in trouble he was very good,” Cox said.
And in his spare time, Cox said, her father watched NASCAR.
"He wasn't very affectionate with his words but he always took care of everyone," Fowlston Jr. said. "Growing up, he was always there for us when we needed him. He may not have always had the words to say it, but he showed it by his action. He was definitely a good dad."
In a Facebook post published on the Plymouth Volunteer Fire Department's Facebook page Monday evening, the department wrote "Rest In Peace Chief Fowlston. We will take it from here."
Fowlston is survived by his son Frank, daughter-in-law Danielle Fowlston and their children Tre, Caydin, and Skyler Fowlston; daughter Amy Cox, son-in-law Tony Cox and Amy's children Alexis, Cheyenne, Tritstan and Aiden; and son Shawn Fowlston and his children Zachary and Dominic.
Here is the info posted on his Facebook pages:
Intro
- Worked at Plymouth Volunteer Fire Department
- Lives in Plymouth, New York
- From Norwich, New York
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Plymouth fire chief dies in house fire
October 30, 2017
Plymouth Volunteer Fire Dept. PLYMOUTH, N.Y. (WBNG) -- Plymouth Fire Chief Frank Fowlston died in a fire early Monday, according to the Chenango County Bureau of Fire.
County officials say the fire at Fowlston's home, 108 County Road 21, was reported around 2 a.m.
Fowlston, a longtime member of the Plymouth Volunteer Fire Department, was the only one home at the time, according to investigators.
The Chenango County Sheriff's Office and the Chenango County Bureau of Fire are investigation what caused the fire.