Bill Gilman was guardian of health
He started fitness tests for firefighters
BY PRATIK JOSHI
Pioneer Press

Bill Gilman, who coordinated the St. Paul Fire Department's health and fitness program for more than 20 years, died Monday of complications from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's disease, a progressive neuromuscular disorder.

His condition was diagnosed in 2004, the year he retired. Gilman, of St. Paul, was 59.

A 1969 Macalester College graduate, Gilman helped start a health-testing program for firefighters in the early 1980s, when few were researching the effects of stress and overexertion on firefighters, said Keith Morehead, the department's training chief.

In January, the city honored Gilman by naming a classroom Gilman Hall at its Fire and Safety Services training facility on Energy Park Drive.

"Gilman was dedicated to firefighters, their safety and health," said Assistant Fire Chief Dave Pleasant.

He ensured that firefighters were tested annually for hearing loss, lung function and effects of stress, then offered corrective recommendations, Pleasant said. Gilman even diagnosed a potential heart problem in a visiting Minneapolis firefighter during a stress test, Pleasant said.

A native of Glenwood, Minn., Gilman graduated from high school in 1965 and studied biology and physical education at Macalester. A star athlete in school, he played basketball in college and later in Belgium as a semiprofessional.

He earned a master's in exercise physiology at St. Cloud State University in the mid-'70s and a Ph.D. from Kent State University in 1984.

He also studied the effect of temperatures on a body's metabolism, said his sister Muriel Gilman, professor and chair of the Department of Physical Education, Health and Sport at Bemidji State University.

Gilman, who was a fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine, also published an article on hearing loss among firefighters using data from St. Paul, his sister said.

In addition to his sister, Gilman is survived by his wife of 26 years, Karyl Thurston; sons Thurston and William, of St. Paul; and brother James Gilman, of Worland, Wyo.

Funeral arrangements are pending.

Pratik Joshi can be reached at pjoshi@pioneerpress.com or 651-228-5509.