Family & Friends of Harold Kummelehne

The Harold Kummelehne Benefit Corporation is a not-for-profit corporation raising funds to help “Our Heroes and Yours.” The fund was started in August 2015 to help Harold Kummelehne, an icon in the local fire service ranks, both as a Fire Apparatus Engineer (FAE) instructor at Prairie State College and a Fire Certification Specialist II with the Illinois State Fire Marshal. He was a founding member of Matteson Local 3086 and held President Emeritus status. Harold devoted more than 39 years to the fire service. He served as a mentor to many and was always there to help.

In September 2014, five years into retirement, Harold was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia, or AML. Once diagnosed, Harold was placed into a clinical trial through the hospital at the University of Chicago where he underwent a vigorous round of chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant. He was released in remission just before Christmas, in time to be home with his family. Shortly thereafter, in early 2015, Harold went in for a routine screening, only to find the leukemia returned. The diagnosis this time was terminal with limited treatment options.

Harold fought every day, surpassing the doctors’ life expectancy predictions. He underwent numerous and intense treatments and a number of hospital stays. Through it all, however, Harold stayed strong, for himself and his family. On September 30, 2015, one year after has initial diagnosis, Harold lost his battle with cancer.

It was Harold’s wish his legacy live on in the form of a benefit fund. In our final conversations with Harold, we agreed the benefit fund would provide scholarships for fire fighter education, such as Fire Apparatus Engineer (FAE) training, and to help other fire fighters battling cancer.