GRESHAM, Ore. — A memorial service was held Saturday morning in honor of a Gresham firefighter, Brian Flowers, who died after a long battle with leukemia.
The 48-year-old’s cancer was brought on after years of fighting fires.
"You are a fighter with a tender, kind heart of gold," said Elsie Flowers, the wife of Brian Flowers.
For the past 30 years, she built a life with her late husband.
"Everything you ever built, you built with care and detail," she said.
"I always wanted to be just like you," Flowers’ son, Darian Flowers, said of his father.
When Flowers wasn’t at work, his family said he spent his time helping the children with homework, traveling to basketball games and watching early morning cartoons with his kids. He also enjoyed fishing and craftsmanship.
He also spent 15 years as a Gresham firefighter.
"It breaks my heart to know that you can't physically be here for big milestones in my life," said Carina Flowers, Brian Flowers’ daughter.
Hundreds of firefighters from other agencies attended Flowers’ memorial service. Many recalled the pranks he pulled and the jokes he frequently told at his fire station.
"Being a Gresham firefighter meant the world to Brian," Gresham Fire Chief Scott Lewis said.
On Saturday, Flowers’ family leaned on the community of people who cared for Brian Flowers.
"Our world has just been shaken, shaken like an earthquake,” Elsie Flowers said. “But our foundation is strong."
While the Flowers family and firefighters across the Portland metro mourn, Flowers’ son Darian has recently begun his career as a firefighter with Gresham fire.
He said that when he got the job in September, his first call was to his dad.