[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 171 (Thursday, September 30, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1054]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             REMEMBERING FIRE CHIEF WILLIAM F. GODDARD III

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                          HON. STENY H. HOYER

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 30, 2021

  Mr. HOYER. Madam Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to a Maryland hero 
and my dear friend, Chief William `Bill' Goddard III of Huntingtown, 
Maryland, who passed away September 1. I was fortunate to meet Bill 
many years ago, when he was serving as Deputy Chief at the Prince 
George's County Fire Department, and it was a privilege to watch him 
take on so many roles in public service over the years and to work 
closely with him on matters critical to the safety of Fifth District 
residents and all Marylanders.
  He began his life of contribution at the age of seventeen, serving in 
the Navy during the Vietnam War. After returning home, Bill became a 
volunteer firefighter at the Glen Dale Fire Association. From there, he 
moved on to the Prince George's County Fire Department, where he rose 
to the rank of Deputy Chief before leaving to serve the people of 
Maryland as Executive Officer for the State Fire Marshal. In the years 
that followed, he held various positions in our state government, from 
Deputy Secretary of State, to Director of the Governor's Board of 
Public Works, to Chief of Staff at the Maryland Department of 
Transportation. As we continue to mark the twentieth anniversary of 9/
11, I would be remiss not to acknowledge Bill's key role as a state 
safety official on that fateful day and in the months that followed, 
providing guidance and expertise on preventing terrorism and ensuring 
public safety.
  Bill had wanted to be a firefighter since he was fourteen years old, 
and his commitment to the job and the responsibilities it held never 
wavered. He said the saddest day of his life was when he retired from 
the fire service, and he didn't stay away long. When he got the call to 
serve again in 2009, Bill donned his uniform once more as Fire Chief 
and Emergency Manager for Howard County. In 2018, after retiring once 
more, he accepted an appointment as the City Administrator for Laurel, 
Maryland, returning again to public service.
  In each of his roles, Bill was a tireless advocate for others. 
Wherever there was need, he never hesitated to give of himself and 
encourage others to do the same. He was a true public servant in every 
sense of the term, and an irreplaceable community leader.
  More than that, Bill was a loving husband and father, and he was a 
cherished friend to me and so many others. All of us who served 
Marylanders alongside him and who knew him well share our deepest 
condolences with his beloved wife Marie, with his children--Kellie, 
Jordyn, Emily, and Stephen--and with his stepdaughter Brandi. We are 
grateful that they shared Bill with us all those years. Marie was truly 
a partner to Bill in public service, and she continues to give so much 
of her time and energy to their community.
  I am grateful to have known and worked with Bill, and I hope that all 
of my colleagues will join me in paying tribute to his life and legacy. 
Keeping him in my thoughts, I will continue to fight for the health and 
safety of firefighters in Maryland and across our country, on whose 
behalf he advocated so tirelessly and effectively.

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