Philip ‘Mort’ Mortensen was born on May 12‚ 1945‚ in Madison‚ Wisconsin‚ the son of Vernon and Elna (Karmgard) Mortensen. He married Sandra Mary Farnsworth on April 23‚ 1966‚ at Brooklyn Lutheran Church‚ of which he was a charter member.

Philip attended school in Brooklyn‚ Wisconsin‚ and graduated from Oregon High School. He studied automotive technology at MATC‚ where he later served as an instructor. He opened Mortensen Auto Repair in 1965‚ and in 1992 was joined in the business by his son‚ Kyle.

Philip joined the Brooklyn Area Fire Protection District in 1966 and became the fire chief of the District in 1974‚ a position he held until his death. During that time‚ he was instrumental in moving the district forward‚ playing a large role in the establishment of Brooklyn’s Emergency Medical Service in 1996. In recent years‚ his many hours of hard work made it possible for the Brooklyn Fire & EMS Protection District to obtain funding for‚ build‚ and move into a new state of the art facility. His assistant chief of 25 years says of Mortensen‚ ‘Phil was my chief‚ my mentor‚ my close friend‚ and my adult life inspiration…He had an absolute commitment to the community he served. He was one of a kind.’

Chief Mortensen led the department by example. While meticulous in the protocols and practices he’d established for firefighters and first responders‚ he was temperate and considerate in dealing with others‚ an approach that earned him universal respect among those he worked with. He was willing to take control and give directions‚ as any good chief would‚ but he would also dig right in beside those he was leading. He was an active participant of the emergency crew‚ not one to just sit back and give orders. He was a dedicated professional who was not afraid to get his hands dirty. A mechanic by trade‚ he often spent many extra hours servicing the equipment of the district. Even in the absence of District duties‚ he still visited the department nearly every day.

He served on the Brooklyn Village Board for about a year and was active working with the Village Board to facilitate business between the Fire & EMS District and the Village.

Phil enjoyed spending time at his lake cabin fishing‚ hunting‚ and snowmobiling. This past year‚ he fulfilled a longtime dream of purchasing a 1956 Thunderbird‚ which he enjoyed driving and restoring.

He especially loved spending time with both his home and fire department families. Philip is survived by his wife‚ Sandy; children‚ Todd Mortensen and Kyle (Lori) Mortensen; granddaughter‚ Miranda; brother‚ David (Cheryl) Mortensen; and numerous nieces‚ nephews‚ in-laws‚ his dog‚ ‘Korby;’ other relatives; and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents.