The Life of William S Titus
Bill Titus died on October 14, 2021, at his home in Swarthmore, of congestive heart failure. He was 71 years old.
A third-generation Swarthmorean, Bill grew up on Swarthmore Avenue, and graduated from Swarthmore High School in 1968, where he played trumpet in the marching band and the orchestra.
When he was 17, he joined the Swarthmore Fire and Protective Association as a junior firefighter. As a high school boy, Bill loved the sense of adventure, the sense of community, and the opportunity to run out of class whenever the fire horn sounded. He remained active in the fire company for 52 years.
Bill graduated from the University of Delaware in 1972, married his wife Mary, and went to work at General Electric in Philadelphia. He spent his career managing the computer systems at seven GE plants in the U.S. and Puerto Rico.
In his early 20’s, he was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, a chronic, debilitating disease that would remain with him for the rest of his life. He endured many surgeries. However, Bill never let RA get in his way; he just worked around it. When he could no longer actively fight fires, he drove the fire trucks for many years. When he had difficulty walking, he used a cane, or later, crutches to get around. He also bought a bright blue adult tricycle to zip around town.
“Mr. Bill” served as fire company secretary from 1972 until his death. It was his way of giving back to the organization he loved. The members of the company occasionally (and affectionately) called him “Secretary Grumpy Pants.” He was Engineer from 1977-1984, and Chief Engineer from 1982-2004. In January, 1984, he was awarded Honorary Life Membership. In 2011, he was awarded the Lion’s Club Citizen of the Year award at the Swarthmore Fourth of July celebration, in recognition of his many years of service to the community. He was surprised and pleased that he was chosen to receive this award.
As a lifelong Swarthmorean, Bill had a wealth of knowledge about borough history, especially about the fires. He was a great storyteller and could entertain people for hours.
Bill will be remembered for his quirky sense of humor, his determination and courage, his love of trains, love of music of all kinds, love of U.D. football, and his red Jeeps. He will be greatly missed.
The family would like to thank the many people who helped Bill in his final years: his primary physician, Dr. Walter Lewis, for his compassion and wisdom; his pulmonologists, cardiologists, rheumatologists, and nephrologists; the Main Line Health Home Care and Hospice nurses and aides for their kindness to both Bill and Mary during hospice; the fire company members; the medics and paramedics who transported him to the hospital many times; the Swarthmore Police Department, who answered calls for lift assistance at all hours; members of the Swarthmore Friends Meeting; and his many friends for their support and love.
Bill is survived by his wife of 49 years, Mary Helmer Titus of Swarthmore; his sister Kathy Faul of Swarthmore; two nieces and a nephew, Bradley Faul (Wendi) of Burlington, New Jersey; Kimberly Faul of Hampton Bay, New York; Heather Spears of Lakeland, Florida; and three grandnieces and a grandnephew, Shannon and Erin Faul of Burlington, New Jersey, and David Houser of Lakeland, Florida. He was predeceased by his parents, Augustus and Pearl Titus of Swarthmore.
A memorial service will be held at Swarthmore Friends Meeting on Saturday, December 4, at 2 p.m. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the Swarthmore Fire and Protective Association, P.O. Box 261, Swarthmore, PA 19081