Beloved paramedic remembered with dedication of ambulance bay at Reid Health Connersville

Wade Weston’s life was taken from him in the blink of an eye on an August Sunday afternoon. He was only 38 years old.

“He lived a lot of life in his 38 years. I'm so thankful for that,” said his wife, Gretchen.

“Everyone loved Wade. I know that's something probably everyone says, but he truly was a wonderful person who provided comfort to many. You were just glad he was part of your life.”

Wade spent about 20 years working in emergency services. He grew up in Dublin, Indiana, and worked as an EMT and paramedic in the region, eventually joining a medical helicopter crew based in Rushville, Indiana.

On Aug. 31, 2008, Wade and two other members of his flight crew had flown to a fundraiser for the Burney Volunteer Fire Department. Shortly after taking off to return to base, the main rotor on their helicopter detached. Moments later, all three were gone.

“He loved everything about EMS. It was his calling in life,” Gretchen said. “There's no doubt that working in EMS was what he was meant to do.”

Wade’s life might have been cut short, but his impact on others was significant. Hundreds turned out for his funeral. They told Gretchen stories that spoke to who he was professionally and personally.
How he cared about others. How he always had a smile on his face.

Two decades later, Wade is still remembered by his colleagues. And now, his legacy continues to live on with a space named after him at the new Reid Health Connersville facility.

A formal dedication of the Wade Weston Ambulance Bay was held today on the campus at 2500 Park Road in Connersville.

Shook Construction, which served as the primary construction partner for the building of the facility, made a donation to the Reid Health Foundation’s capital campaign for the new campus and chose to name the space after Wade.

“We wanted this space to honor someone whose impact on this community continues to be felt today. As soon as we learned Wade’s story, we knew he was the right person to recognize,” said Chris Freitag, Director of Operations for Shook.

“His dedication to serving others touched countless lives and continues to be remembered by those who knew him. We are honored to help preserve his legacy and hope everyone who passes through the Wade Weston Ambulance Bay is inspired by the selflessness and commitment to service that defined his life.”

Jason Troutwine, Reid Health Vice President and Reid Health Foundation President, thanked Shook for their contribution to the project and for honoring Wade.

“Shook has been a great partner to us through the years on a number of projects,” Troutwine said. “Choosing to recognize a deserving community member like Wade is an incredibly thoughtful gesture and a reflection of Shook’s own values as an organization.”

This isn’t the first time Wade has been memorialized in Connersville. A large rock outside the former hospital on Virginia Avenue bears his name, a gift from colleagues after his death.

Wade’s family has decided to have the rock buried on the grounds when the building eventually is torn down.

“I hope everyone involved in having the memorial rock placed knows how much it has meant to us,” Gretchen said. “At this point, I think a respectful thing to do is to have it buried where he spent so many years of his life as a paramedic and to know it's going to be there forever.”

She was tearful when she found out about the planned tribute to Wade at Reid’s new facility, knowing his devotion to others and the career he gave his life for wouldn’t be forgotten.

“Our family is incredibly grateful, and we recognize what an honor this is,” Gretchen said.

“We find comfort in knowing his impact on so many people’s lives is still remembered today. His grandchildren will get to see his name, be told stories about him, and learn about the caring person he was.”