In Memory: Vic Fousek, Disaster Volunteer

By Nick Cluppert, Disaster Services Director

On Saturday, July 6, 2013 we lost a great friend, volunteer, leader and Hero of the Red Cross when Victor (Vic) Fousek passed away at the age of 74.

Vic has been a volunteer with Red Cross since 2003, and had given Red Cross many hours of his time volunteering with the Disaster Action Team responding to fires and other disasters in the Waushara County and surrounding area.

Vic also gave his time to deploy nationally on about 11 national deployments.  His first deployment was to Hurricane Dennis in July of 2005 where he went to Alabama and assisted those affected through working in the Feeding activity.  Vic also deployed to Mississippi for Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Hurricane Wilma in 2005, MN/WI Flooding in 2007, the 2008 Wisconsin floods, Hurricane Ike in 2008, ND/Western MN Floods in February 2011, North Dakota Floods in June 2011, and Hurricane Irene in 2011.

Vic enjoyed driving the Emergency Response Vehicle (ERV) as you can see in the photo of him in his Green Bay Packers shirts when he deployed to North Dakota for flooding.

Locally Vic was a leader with the Waushara County Disaster Action Team where he responded to fires throughout the county.  It was just the day before Vic passed away that he responded to an apartment fire in Wautoma where Red Cross assisted those that were displaced because of the fire.  Vicki Jenks, a fellow Disaster Action Team volunteer, had Vic as one of her mentors when she first started out as a Red Cross disaster volunteer.

She stated, “When I first joined the Tri-County DAT in October of 2007 I tagged along on 3 or 4 fires with Vic and Edith.  What I most noted about Vic was how genuinely kind, considerate and CALM he was in every situation.  He always found the best in people while honoring all the “ins and outs” of client casework.”

Vic also dedicated his time and efforts to help raise money for the Red Cross, by putting out canisters in his local community to help support local disaster relief in his community.

Vic & a number of the other Tri-County DAT volunteers at a recent meeting. He is in the second row on the right.

He helped with donations of some of his woodwork for the HEROES Benefit Musicals put on in Wild Rose for the silent auction.  Vic was involved with the Musicals fundraiser for the Red Cross for six straight years.

Vic also was involved with the Lions Club, and as part of that helped to organize blood drives for the Red Cross in the Coloma area.

Through his work with Blood Services Vic has helped save lives and as a disaster volunteer has helped people start to rebuild their lives after losing almost everything.  Vic is a special Hero in all of our hearts and will be truly missed by all of his Red Cross family and friends.