Published: May 25, 2018

Wires Family Donates Memorabilia to Galion Hospital

GALION – The family of former Galion Hospital administrator David J. Wires visited the hospital this morning to donate memorabilia from his collection.

Heather Bennett, granddaughter of Mr. Wires, along with Wires’ great-grandsons Nick Stults and Blake Polzer, presented Galion Hospital with the original trowel from the 1974 groundbreaking, a portrait of Mr. Wires, and photographs of the hospital and its staff that date back more than six decades. The memorabilia was so well preserved that the dirt from the groundbreaking ceremony was still present on the trowel.

“Mr. Wires was the CEO of Galion Hospital at its genesis,” explained Jerome Morasko, President/CEO of Avita Health System. “His dedication for more than 25 years laid the foundation for the hospital for many years to come. We are honored to receive memorabilia from his collection and look forward to displaying it prominently in our hospital.”

Mr. Wires served as the first administrator of Galion Hospital from 1953 to 1979. Throughout his tenure, he oversaw three expansions of the hospital, including the 1974 addition that was designed and built for all private patient rooms. In 1981, Mr. Wires authored a book titled “A Scribbler’s Chronicles: A History of Galion Community Hospital.”

“My grandpa loved everything about Galion Hospital,” commented Heather Bennett, “It was a big part of my family.”