Honorees

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Year Honored
2000
Honoree
David R Deary
Agency
Fry Fire Department
Agency City
Sierra Vista
Agency State
AZ
Last Call
4/28/79
Cause of Death
Other Trauma
Biography
Many words have been spoken about David Deary, however, fireman Forrest Wood said it best when he made his statement about young Deary. "You know, we could go on and on but there's really only one thing to say about Dave. He died doing what he loved to do. He was doing what he had decided to devote his whole life to, and Dave wouldn't have it any other way."<br /> <br /> David R. Deary, age 22, fell several hundred feet to his death while attempting to rescue two men who had fallen at Carr Canyon Falls. He died on April 28, 1979, during a rescue operation conducted by the Fry Fire Department of Sierra Vista, Arizona. Mr. Deary was the first fireman in Cochise County ever to die in the line of duty. He became a firefighter and emergency medical technician with the department in October, 1978. He had previously volunteered with the Orange County Fire Department in Orange, California.<br /> <br /> David told us if something ever happened to him he wanted to be buried "in his dirty blue jeans, with his T-shirt that read Survivor-ORCA(Orange County) Fire Academy, along with his badge and his favorite Matchbox Snoopy fire truck." He was also buried with a full uniform at his feet which had two pairs of socks, non-matching, along with his dress uniform and work cap.<br /> <br /> This young rescuer could whistle all the sirens of the different engines and air horns of emergency equipment. Always ready for every call, David designated each "the big one". His hobbies reflected how he felt about his job. He had collected hundreds of Matchbox fire engines and ambulances, anything that had to do with fire and rescue.<br /> <br /> David Deary's entire life revolved around his profession.<br /> <br /> Honored 2000