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ST. PETERSBURG (FOX 13) - One day a year, Joe Thielemann volunteers at Northside Hospital in St. Petersburg in honor of his father Jack.
"He was a man of his word. If he told you he was going to do something, then he was here to do it," Joe said.
Jack was a Northside volunteer for more than 35 years. Before he died in 2011, he accumulated nearly 36,000 volunteer hours.
"It equates to someone having a full time job for 17 years, averaging 40 hours a week," Joe explained.
Jack would stand in the hallway as an ambassador of good cheer.
"He was always here greeting everybody that walked by,” recalled Candice Gerber, who works at the hospital. “He was a nice man.”
To honor Jack, Northside created an award in his name given each year to an outstanding employee.
"He had such a tremendous impact in his years here at Northside. So we are excited to give away the Jack Thielemann award," hospital CEO Dia Nichols said.
And now, his son continues a father's proud legacy of service.