San Jose says goodbye to Sam Seibert, a fire captain who helped preserve its history

The San Jose Fire Department bid farewell to a huge part of its history Tuesday at a celebration of life for Sam Seibert, the retired fire captain who died at age 106 on Nov. 30.

”Sam was like a second father to me,” said John McMillan, a retired assistant fire chief and president of the San Jose Fire Museum  “Sam was an icon on this department.”

More than 200 people — members of the San Jose Fire Department, city officials, family members and friends — attended the memorial at the San Jose Fire Museum, which began at 1:06 p.m. on 1/06 in honor of Seibert’s age.

Seibert left a long legacy with enough experiences for a few lifetimes, based on all the stories told Tuesday by speakers who included his niece, Doreen Below, and San Jose Fire Chief Robert Sapien.

There were stories about his youth in Washington state, his time serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II, his penchant for collecting and repairing watches and clocks and the various reasons he gave for his longevity. There were even stories about the stories Seibert told.

”He could have written a book from what he was telling you.” said retired San Jose Fire Department fire engineer Phil Reggiardo, a longtime friend.

Seibert, who was born Aug. 26, 1919, joined the San Jose Fire Department after the war in 1946 and retired 30 years later, after rising to the rank of captain. An avid collector, he was instrumental in establishing the San Jose Fire Museum, working with the group that started it before he retired. He helped lead the effort to turn old Fire Station No. 1 on Market Street — where Seibert worked in the 1950s — into a museum after it closed in 2000, replaced by a modern station next door.

Seibert became the museum’s biggest cheerleader and one of its largest individual benefactors, contributing more than $350,000 and donating several of the museum’s artifacts — some of which he had been collecting since 1959 and others that he acquired, including an 1810 hand pumper that he bought on the East Coast.

Seibert and his wife, Sheila, lived in Willow Glen for nearly eight decades. Damien and Lisa Swendsen lived next door for the past 20 years and became close friends with the retired firefighter and heard many of his stories.

”Time seemed to stand still when Sam was talking to you,” Lisa Swendsen said.

Seibert’s niece, said her uncle indulged his love of travel the past three years, even going on a road trip to his old haunts in Washington, Idaho and Montana.

”Sam did not have a single complaint,” Below said  “All he would say is ‘Heaven can wait. This adventure is the opportunity of a lifetime.”

CRAFTED WITH CARE: Sophie Nguyen wrapped her Eagle Scout project with compassion during the holiday season. Nguyen, a member of Scouting America BSA Troop 30 in Los Altos, delivered a dozen “fidget” blankets Dec. 23 to Avenidas Rose Kleiner Center in Mountain View, which provides support for seniors, including those with cognitive and physical challenges.

Fidget blankets are small quilts covered with different textures and things like ribbons, buttons and pockets that help people keep their hands busy while also providing sensory stimulation. But they can be a bear to make. Nguyen made a simplified design using no-sew fleece blankets as a base with hand-crafted fidget patches sewn on separately. She directed a team of Scouts, family members and friends to assemble everything in time for the very special delivery.

Ten of the blankets are lap-sized, and two larger versions are being displayed as wall art.

RACE RESULTS: Now that I’m back from my holiday break, I can reveal the results of the bike-car-light rail race to Levi’s Stadium back on Dec. 14, affectionately dubbed the Transit Bowl. My money, you might recall, was on Valley Water Director Shiloh Ballard, who traveled by bike to the Santa Clara football stadium from the Hotel De Anza in downtown San Jose.

My money would be gone. Ballard finished second, edged out by about five minutes by Milan Balinton, the executive director of the African American Community Service Agency, who drove a car to Levi’s. Mineta Transportation Institute Executive Director Karen Philbrick, who took a VTA light-rail train, finished third.

Ballard made a solid defense for her close finish in second, though, noting that she had to stop on the way because of a camera issue — the whole thing was being recorded for social media — and that Balinton ended up overpaying for a better parking spot. “It’s about the whole experience,” Ballard said. “It’s such a pleasure to ride your bike on those trails.”

Of course, the big (and unanswered) is how long did it take everyone to get home? I’d bet Balinton came in third on that one.