Funeral services for DeKalb County Firefighter III William L. (Bill) Craddock will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, June 17 the First Reedemer Church on 2135 Old Alpheretta Road in Cumming.
Family visitation and viewing will be held on Thursday June 15 at McDonald and Son Funeral Home in Cumming from 4- 9 p.m. On Friday, June 16, a viewing will be held at Avondale Baptist Church on Covington Highway in Avondale Estates from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Another family visitation and viewing will be held Friday from 4-9 p.m at the funeral home.
Interment will be in Forrest Lawn Memorial Park in College Park following the service on Saturday.
Donations for the family are still being accepted at any Bank of America Bank under the account name of William L. Craddock Fund. If you have any questions please direct them to the Office of the Operations Officer, Operations Division, DeKalb Fire Rescue at 404-294-2251.
Craddock, 36, stricken with a heart attack in May died Tuesday night at Emory University Hospital.
"There was very heavy fire. He came out, saying he didn't feel well. We initially thought it was heat-related. He had been inside, and fire conditions were bad." Capt. Eric Jackson said just after the incident.
But, Craddock's condition continued to deteroriate as he was transported to the hospital. Once there, tests showed he was having a massive heart attack, Jackson said.
Realizing he needed the care of coronary specialists, Craddock was transported to Emory by ambulance. A cardiologist and a nurse accompanied him during the transfer.
Jackson said Craddock was well-liked, and a dedicated firefighter for the past nine years.
"He was an instructor for other departments as well as for us," Jackson said Wednesday afternoon.
Although he was with Engine 20 the night of the incident, he was usually assigned to Station 24, a technical and heavy rescue house.
