Timothy N. Pelton, '70      Marlowe Sherwood Memorial Service Award, 2011

When choosing a recipient of the Marlowe Sherwood Memorial Service Award, the awards committee looks for someone who has taken the lessons of Fides et Labor learned at Park and applied them to the community in which they live. This year’s recipient, Timothy N. Pelton, Class of 1970, is a shining example of those lessons in action. Pelton has more than 20 years active duty with the Cheshire (Connecticut) Fire Department. He has served in volunteer positions as Assistant Chief, Command Officer, Department Safety Officer and Director of Training. Pelton has worked diligently to make this a “professional” department, and one of the best equipped, well trained and highly motivated in New England. His daughter, Jennifer, nominated her father for this award and bragged that “it all started with my Dad.” He has established protocols regarding education, safety and physical readiness. As “the voice of the CFD”, Pelton represents the organization in the local community, attending events and providing media relations. Pelton is an advocate of Park’s tradition of lifelong learning. He continues to add to his skills and knowledge. In response to a community trauma, he signed up for training and joined the statewide team sponsored by the International Critical Incident Foundation based in Baltimore. As a team leader for the Northeast Critical Incident Stress Management Team, he responds to countless calls for fire department debriefings, speaks publicly on the topic, and is part of a special response team that responds to national disasters, including school shootings, airline accidents (TWA Flight 800), the Oklahoma City bombing and the 9/11 attack. In his words, “When very good people are having a very bad day, that is when I need to go and help.” Pelton’s commitment to service spreads wide. He holds volunteer leadership roles in the Connecticut Statewide Honor Guard, a group of fire service volunteers who specialize in the education, planning, and execution of high honor line-of-duty-death funerals for emergency personnel; the Connecticut LAST Team, which provides assistance and guidance to the families and fire departments involved with line-of-duty-deaths; the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation and the National Honor Guard Academy. In addition to his devotion to his community, Pelton does have additional responsibilities and interests, such as a business and family. He is vice president of Holdsworth Pelton & Associates, Inc., which specializes in fire safety plan development, reimbursement, training, and policy development. He is married to Andrea Lang Pelton, ’70, and they have one proud daughter, Jennifer. They reside in Cheshire, Connecticut.

Timothy N. Pelton
Class of 1970

Pelton as a student
photo from the 1970 NARVA

Tim and Andrea Lang Pelton