FORT WORTH, Texas — Relatives, friends, and Fort Worth firefighters have organized a memorial service for Lieutenant Garey Pugh, who died in a motorcycle accident this month.
True Vine Missionary Baptist Church hosted a visitation for Pugh on March 22 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and on March 23, Doxology Baptist Church hosted a memorial service beginning at 11 a.m.
Friends and colleagues told WFAA Thursday Pugh had a "huge personality" and lightened heavy moods.
"He was just a ball of fun," Fort Worth Fire Department Lt. Boris McCray said. "He made the job fun. He found ways, no matter what was going on, to bring laughter to the room."
Pugh served Fort Worth for 34 years, the department said. McCray worked with him for 23 years.
The two became close when McCray was still considered a firefighting "rookie," he said.
"He never once met a stranger, and if you met him once you felt like you met him a million times," McCray added. "He was always the same way, with a big smile - or he was about to make you smile."
McCray also praised Pugh's firefighting prowess. In his role as a lieutenant, Pugh bounced from station to station and covered an especially busy portion of Fort Worth.
The fire department is organizing special honors for Pugh and his surviving relatives.
"It's sacred," McCray said. "It's our way of giving back."
Hundreds of people have expressed their condolences for Pugh on social media. Some shared photographs of the 56-year-old, riding the motorcycle friends say he loved.
Marcus Hodges, a fire protection specialist with the North Richland Hills Fire Department, said Pugh inspired him to become a firefighter.
Pugh shopped at the grocery store where Hodges was a clerk. The two did not know each other, beyond their interactions at the checkout counter.
"He would always encourage me to become a fireman," Hodges said. "He was always pumping it and bolstering how good it was."
Initially, Pugh's pitch was a tough sell.
"I was like, 'Man, I don't want to run into burning buildings,'" Hodges recalled. "He said, 'Man, we don't run into burning buildings. We walk in and put the fires out.' I thought that was so cool."
Hodges and Pugh did not cross paths again. Hodges says he isn't sure if Pugh knew he became a firefighter.
"That was always my wish: that I'd be able to see him and go, 'Hey man, I took you up on your advice and here I am.'"
Hodges says he now passes along the same advice to young people he encounters, remembering Pugh's consistent message and tactful approach.
McCray said firefighters can't resist sharing their experiences with others and encouraging people who have "potential" to join their service.
"When you have something special like this, you want to tell others about it," McCray said.