This Message carried by The Emergency Email & Wireless Network in partnership with The Virginia Fire Chiefs Association
With deep sorrow, we wanted you to know that we lost another dedicated member of the Virginia fire service. Franklin D. "Frankie" Clary was the current fire chief of the Lawrenceville Volunteer Fire Department in Brunswick County. Frankie was 49 years old and had served his department for 25 years in many line officer positions and as president for several years. Last year, he rose to his lifelong dream of becoming a fire chief.
He was just promoted to a supervisor at VDOT in Lawrenceville and he was very active in his church and the local Lion's Club. He was also working on the purchase of a new aerial apparatus and had been contacted this past week by DHS to provide additional follow-up to an AFG award for the purchase of new SCBA for his department.
Frankie was a friend to all firefighters and he truly loved the fire/rescue service, especially in Virginia. It was impressive to see Frankie come from a small town department (pop. 2000) and attend all of the major events around the state to represent the fire service and his department. He could be seen at many Virginia Fire Service Board meetings, the VFCA Mid-Atlantic Expo & Symposium, and at the Virginia General Assembly to show support for the fire/rescue bills last year.
He passed after collapsing from a heart attack while doing routine work at his primary job. He leaves behind his widow Alice who attended many of these events with him and they had no children. She has requested a full firefighter ceremony for him.
Visitation is tonight (Thursday) from 6 to 8 p.m. at Williams Funeral Home, 410 Windsor Avenue, Lawrenceville, VA 23868. The funeral service will be at the same location on Friday at 2:00 p.m. with graveside ceremony following at the Oakwood Cemetery in Lawrenceville.
