The city of Fortuna continues to mourn the loss of retired police chief Bill Dobberstein who died this past weekend. Today Matt Eberhardt, a lieutenant with the Fortuna Police Department, penned the following remembrance of his late colleague which was posted to FPD’s social media:

FPD

We have been grieving the loss of retired Police Chief Bill Dobberstein. He lived a life of service to others. He served in the United States Air force and he served as a member of the Fortuna Police Department for over 25 years, retiring as Chief of Police in January of 2020.

Bill loved Fortuna and public safety. Throughout his career he saved lives, inspired others and truly made a significant impact on those who had the pleasure of knowing him. Bill was a fun loving friend, coworker and Chief. We remember the smiles he gave us and the laughs we enjoyed with him. The members of the Fortuna Police Department honor his memory and extend our condolences to his family, friends and all those he touched in his amazing life.

As the agency’s Facebook manager it has taken me some time to gather my thoughts. Bill was a friend and significant part of my everyday life for many years. He is missed and I was honored to be his friend and coworker.

-Lt. Matt Eberhardt