He was easy to spot. He was cruising by in emergency vehicles, lights and sirens blaring. He was at the hospitals, offering constant support. He was in meetings with countless officials and residents seeking to better the community. And he was in Payrow Plaza, surrounded by excited children, grinning widely as he coaxed them to light the towering Christmas tree.

William "Billy" Guth Jr., a man generous with his time and energy for decades, died March 14 at the age of 57.

Guth is remembered by countless colleagues and friends as a member and supervisor of Bethlehem's Emergency Medical Services department for 35 years. He was an Eagle Scout, Bethlehem Township paramedic, CPR instructor, volunteer emergency squad member in Fountain Hill, Nazareth Speedway firefighter and former chair of the Eastern Pa. EMS Conference.

Fellow EMS responder Chris Post said he was saddened while perusing his personal photo archive for images of his friend, looking for prototypical moments to share via Facebook. "I have had the pleasure of knowing Billy since 1993. He was a big man with a big heart and he loved his community."

"Billy was a man who would do anything for anyone, without question," said current city EMS Director Thomas Decker. "He was known for his friendly demeanor and always brought smiles to his co-workers and patients' faces. He treated his patients as if they were his own family."

Decker said Guth was instrumental with the S.A.D.D. presentations at Liberty and Bethlehem Catholic high schools, a founding member of the Eastern PA EMS Council Critical Incident Stress Management Team.

Dana Grubb worked closely with Guth when he worked for the city. "When I was a city administrator, EMS was in the community and economic development department prior to being moved into the fire department, and the operation came under my supervision. In order to understand it better, I would ride with a paramedic crew twice a year.

"The first time I did that, Bill and his partner were the crew with whom I experienced a day in their life," explained Grubb. "What I witnessed was a person with a tremendous dedication to that field and an unbelievable compassion. He also had a comforting sense of humor with his patients, as he worked to not only address their medical issues, but also tried to ease their worries. Behind the scenes, Bill was a tireless EMS advocate.

"Yet, at the end of the shift, his greatest joy was going to his wife, Mary, and their daughter Sarah. I'm saddened not only at his way too young passing, but that he didn't get to enjoy his retirement and spend more time with his family."

Guth was buried Saturday, and a community mourned the loss of his professional expertise and tremendous kindness.