Chief John Cooper Sr. Award for Excellence: Brian Wikoff
The Chief John Cooper Sr. Award for Excellence represents someone who, through civic position and personal effort, tirelessly and passionately gives back to the community. This award is presented to Brian Wikoff to highlight his unwavering support and help he provides the community, particularly in his many roles throughout the area. Brian is called on day and night to help those experiencing hardship, as he serves as an “on-call” volunteer , providing aid and support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week – serving needs whenever, wherever, and for whomever.
Brian’s history in the community spans back to his educational years, as he graduated from Colerain High School in 1979. He then went on to receive an Associate of Arts degree in General Studies from the University of Cincinnati in 1981, and then attended the Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science, where he received his Associates in Applied Science in 1982. After serving a one-year apprenticeship, he attained a Funeral Director and Embalmer license from the State of Ohio, and began working at a local funeral home.
At the age of 37, Brian left his position at the funeral home to surrender to full-time ministry, and pursued his education at Bob Jones University in Greenville, SC, where he earned a Bachelor degree in Pastoral Studies with a minor in Rhetoric and Public Address in 2000. He then pastored a church in Decatur, IN for five years before he returned to his home church in Cincinnati, where he focused on Outreach and Adult Ministries for four years.
From there, Brian has been an integral part of the community, coming to work in the Milford Miami Township area in January 2010 at Evans Funeral Home doing aftercare, where he worked for 13 years. In 2011, he started volunteering as the Police Chaplain with the Milford Police Department: “My duties included making death notifications, arriving on scene to console families after a loss of a loved one, chairing the National Night Out event, and interacting and encouraging the officers,” he says.
In 2012, Chief John Cooper Sr. of the Milford Community Fire Department asked Brian to serve as the Chaplain for the Firehouse. “He actually created a badge and got me a Class A uniform that was for the Fire Department and the Police Department. My duties included being called on-scene to console individuals, offer invocations at meetings, speak at the 9/11 Memorial Service, and interact with the firemen and EMS workers,” Brian recalls.
Brian went on to serve as the Chaplain for the Miami Township Fire Department in 2017, and Chaplain for the Miami Township Police Department in 2020. He also volunteers on an “on-call” basis for the Milford Police Department, Milford Community Fire Department, Miami Township Fire Department, and Miami Township Police Department.
“I often get called on scene to help with families so the police or firefighters can do their work uninterrupted,” Brian says. “It is an honor to give assistance to any member of the community, especially if there is a critical need. It is a gift I can offer to bring some relief, encouragement, or information to community members, as well as to first responders.”
Brian believes serving the community is a part of being in the community, and he states, “Community means ‘living in the same place having common characteristics, interests, and goals.’ The last five letters of community are the word unity – being one. So, when one member of the community hurts, we all hurt; when one member of the community celebrates, we all celebrate. One for all and all for one.”
Having had a personal relationship with Chief Cooper Sr., Brian is overjoyed and honored to have been chosen for this award. “Chief Cooper was an amazing colleague, mentor, and friend – a true pillar in the community. Chief did so much for our community, and I hold him in high esteem. Thank you.”