By Amanda Codispoti
The Roanoke Times
ROANOKE, Va. — The Roanoke Fire-EMS Department is mourning the loss of one if its firefighters, who died suddenly Thursday after becoming ill.
Capt. Chris Brown became sick Wednesday morning at the end of his shift at station No. 1. It was discovered later in the day that he had a brain tumor, Chief David Hoback said.
Brown was 44.
He was a leader and a mentor that many in the department looked up to, Hoback said Friday.
“There’s no finer example of a true hero, or firefighter, or captain, than Chris Brown,” he said.
“He was an outstanding individual and really made an impact on the organization.”
When Brown was hospitalized Wednesday and Thursday, there were at times up to 125 people there, Hoback said.
“He’s touched so many people and enriched so many lives,” he said.
Brown had worked for the fire department for more than 15 years and was captain of the department’s largest station.
First Lt. J.J. Price worked under Brown and said he was impressed with how Brown treated every person fairly.
“Every person that came in the door, he gave them a clean slate no matter what he’d heard,” Price said.
Price also described how Brown had the ability to fix anything that broke on the truck or at the station.
In fact, Brown’s wife found a wrench in his pocket when she went through his clothes at the hospital, Price said.
Hoback said that Brown had been having some minor health problems, but nothing that Brown considered to be serious.
“He’s a tough man. Never one to complain,” Hoback said.
Brown leaves behind his wife, Stephanie, and two daughters. His brother, Mark Brown, is also a firefighter with the city.
Brown’s funeral is planned for Monday. He will be buried with full fire department honors.
Copyright 2009 The Roanoke Times