Retired Fire Chief Dies Weeks After Crash

LIBERTYVILLE, IL — An 89-year-old man, who was a retired fire chief and spent years playing Santa over the Christmas holiday to brighten the spirits of "kids big and small," has died several weeks after a crash in Libertyville. Police said Luster Hursey, of Mundelein, was involved in the two-vehicle crash at 11:54 a.m.m on May 25, which occurred on private property at 200 Lake Street, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. He was not taken to the hospital immediately following the crash but was later admitted to Lutheran General Hospital.

The medical examiner's office said he died at the Park Ridge hospital at 11:47 a.m. on July 6 from a brain hemorrhage, which occurred because of the crash. Other contributing factors were heart disease and diabetes.

Hursey is survived by his wife of 40 years, Lois; seven children, 20 grandchildren and 23 great-grandchildren, He retired in 1992 from his post as fire chief of the Lake Station Fire Department in Lake Station, Indiana, according to his obituary. Family was important to Luster "Bud" Hursey and he played Santa Claus every Christmas "for kids big and small," according to his obituary.

A Celebration of Life for Hursey will be planned at a later date.

Meanwhile, the Libertyville Police Department has re-opened an investigation into the crash, which lead to Hursey's death, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

More via the Chicago Sun-Times and Hursey's obituary