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Remembering
Robert E. McLaughlin
Ocean Shores Fire Department — Washington
Classification: Career
Rank: Captain
Date of Death: March 22, 2006
Age: 40
Robert McLaughlin died from injuries
suffered during surf rescue training.
At the age of 16, he was a resident volunteer
firefighter for the Silverdale
Fire Department.
Rob served two years as a
paid Firefighter/Paramedic
and six years as Captain/
Paramedic with Ocean
Shores Fire Department.
During his years of service,
he was also an acting
Fire Marshal, Assistant
Chief, and Surf Rescue
Team member.
Rob dedicated himself to
making his department
the best it could be. He was
always working, even on his
days off — looking for opportunities
to train and improve
upon the department. He strove to
improve morale through participation
in department activities, and he implemented
training programs that had not previously
been offered at our small department.
He was involved in the department’s annual
Halloween Carnival, Easter Egg Hunt, adopt-a-family
at Christmas program, the North Beach High School
Scholarship program, MDA Boot Drive, Harley
Weekend, pancake breakfast, egg drop for Ocean
Shores Elementary School, and the fire prevention
program for local elementary schools.
Rob was very instrumental in starting the Grays
Harbor County Firefighter 1 training
academy, where he was a head instructor.
He also taught search and rescue
for the North Bend Fire Academy
and was an instructor for the
Grays Harbor paramedic program.
He was named 2006
Grays Harbor Firefighter of
the Year.
At the age of 18, he enlisted
in the Army as a Recon/
Sniper team leader. He was
a Babe Ruth Little League
baseball coach. He loved
to go hunting and fishing
and spent as much time as
he could outdoors. He also
enjoyed restoring old jeeps,
collecting firearms, target and
skeet shooting, spending time
with his family, camping, and
traveling to different places in the
US.
He is survived by his wife, Christine; daughters,
Christa Hoff-McLaughlin and Katalin McLaughlin;
and son, Robert Killian McLaughlin. Rob saved countless
lives and touched even more during his time with
us. He had a skill and assurance on and off the job that
will be difficult to imitate. His gentle heart, quick wit,
and infectious grin will be missed.
Rob McLaughlin is missed deeply by his family, his
fire family, and the community which he proudly
served and to which he dedicated his life.