05/31/2026
“THE TRUE SPIRIT OF THE FIREFIGHTING COMMUNITY”
After winning $10,000 in a Waltham fire union raffle, a veteran WFD lieutenant gave it all away in support of two late firefighters, including one who will be laid to rest on Monday.
Lt. Billy Withycombe and his wife Deena enter Waltham Local Firefighters 866’s fundraising raffle every year.
If the couple won, Billy told union treasurer Izzy Torres he would donate $9,000 to a Waltham-based foundation that supports firefighters and their families.
Billy and Izzy, both WHS Class of 1989, went to school with Bobby Felt [upper left photo], a fellow Waltham firefighter who was only 33 when he died unexpectedly in 2004. “Bobby was a good friend of mine,” Billy said.
His death inspired his brother Mark to create the Tillerman Foundation, so named because Bobby served as the rear cab driver (or tillerman) on the department’s just-retired Ladder 2 truck—the same engine Billy served on.
“Guys like Billy are why the foundation exists,” said Mark, who was “blown away” by his friend’s donation, but not surprised.
Billy, who owns a construction company, also sponsors a hole at the Tillerman Foundation’s annual golf tournament.
The foundation supports the fire union’s annual fundraising banquet, but its main mission is to provide assistance to firefighters either killed or injured in the line of duty.
Mark will use the Withycombes’ donation to help the family of Boston firefighter Bobby Kilduff, Jr. [upper right photo], a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, third-generation firefighter and father who died while on duty on May 23.
The Withycombes are also helping out by donating the remaining $1,000 of their raffle winnings to “BK.”
Billy and Deena will be in Alaska on their-first ever solo adventure during the funeral mass Monday, but they wanted to do something for the fallen firefighter’s family. “It’s a tragedy,” Billy said.
In a statement, Local 866 recognized his “extraordinary generosity and selflessness.”
“Lieutenant Withycombe’s actions embody the true spirit of the firefighting community—dedication, compassion, and unwavering support for one another,” the union said.
More
www.tillermanfoundation.org
Photo: Peter Lobo
