Crowds gathered Saturday in Claremore as friends, family, comrades and those wishing to show their gratitude came together to honor the life and career of Captain Jason Farley.
Farley, an almost 20-year veteran of the Claremore Fire Department, died in the line of duty on May 24.
Fellow firefighters and members of the community were among those who looked back on Farley’s life Saturday.
“As far as honoring Jason, the main thing I remember about him is how much he loved his job,” said Ty Burnett, captain, Claremore Fire Department. “He was very passionate about doing his job and doing it right. Obviously, he wanted to help people (the public) but he wanted to help the people that were around him.
“I’ve heard story after story about the help he gave to young firefighters who were just starting out their career — how he would encourage them to follow their hopes and dreams to accomplish the things they hope to achieve,” Burnett continued. “I never had the privilege to be stationed with him, to work with him in the same crew, but I’ve known Jason for over 17 years, and the support we’ve gotten from the community after losing him has been overwhelming. It’s been reassuring to see all the concern that’s out there.”
Jason Crandall, fire marshal with the Claremore Fire Department, said, “He was just always such a good friend and on top of that, he always pushed you to do more than your best — he wanted people to tap into more of themselves. He was very participative in everything in every aspect. He was one of those people who would be the first to want to help others in need. Like today, if it had been someone else who passed, he would have been the first to say ‘Hey, we’ve got to stand behind our brothers, support them and be there for them’ — he was just that kind of man. He was a really good friend, a really good firefighter, a really good motivator.
“He was full tilt, to the extreme — no matter what he did, he always wanted to be able to do it better and would push himself to do so,” Crandall added.
Claremore Fireman Robert Casey remembered Farley as his first captain — and a great mentor. “He’d push you to be the best he thought you could be, then he’d push you a little more,” Casey said. “He was a very, very, very passionate person — he’d give 110 percent at everything he did, whether that was being a firefighter or being your friend.”
