A beloved assistant chief and fire marshal from a community near Houston who was the longest tenured member of his department has died.
The Baytown Fire Department announced Friday that Assistant Chief and Fire Marshal Bernard Olive, 68, passed away suddenly Thursday while on duty of a nature and cause yet to be determined.
“Words cannot fully express how sad we are to lose our friend," Baytown Mayor Stephen DonCarlos said in a fire department Facebook post. “Bernard was a good man who loved serving his hometown. Our prayers go out to his family, the Baytown Fire Department and our city family. He will be deeply missed.”
Olive began his career with the city in 1969 for the Public Works Department after graduating from high school.
After serving as an Army medic in the U.S. and abroad, Olive came home to Baytown and joined the fire department full time in 1973, working his way up the ranks to become assistant chief, fire marshal and deputy emergency management coordinator.
He was also a guest instructor at Texas A&M's Municipal Fire School for 37 years.
"Bernard put the 'B' in 'Baytown' is a saying commonly expressed by Baytown firefighters," reads the fire department's post. "A tribute to the man whose 48 year career made him the de facto historical custodian of all things Baytown related."
Assistant Chief Olive is survived by his wife Kathy, daughter Martha, son-in-law Tim and granddaughter Kathryn.
Baytown sits about 20 miles east of Houston on Trinity Bay.
