On Saturday -- which would have been Sterling Firefighter Trevor Brown's 47th birthday -- residents and firefighters turned out for a living tribute to honor him for his supreme sacrifice.
The site --where Brown lost his life last year while investigating a gas leak was purchased by the Seneca Ridge Homeowners' Association -- was transformed into a park, The Loudoun Times reported.
A large boulder in Firefighter Brown Memorial Park marks the spot where he was found after the house exploded.
Former Sterling Fire Chief David Short reflected that he's stood on the property and has never been alone.
"Standing here we remember the path it took to get us here. On a cold night in February when our community stood together on these very streets facing a tragedy too immense to fully grasp in the moment; the fear, the heartbreak, it was a night that changed all of us," Short said.
The local community and businesses pitched in by donating funds and skills to create the park that includes benches where visitors can sit and remember the fourth generation firefighter. Among the plants are white hydranges which were Brown's wedding flowers.
"This park is more than a tribute to Trevor. It is a tribute to all of you here today. You showed up. You gave. You built. This is something that will last. Trevor would be proud of everything you have done. Let it remind us of what it means to serve, sacrifice and to stand together. Let it remind us of Trevor and let it remind us of the best that is in yourselves," Short said.
Sterling Firefighter Jesse Michaud thanked the community on behalf of the Brown family.
"There are no words strong enough to express the depth of our gratitude. The saying 'stronger with each hardship' has never run truer than it does today. Through the pain, through the loss, we have come together and what we've created here is a testament to Trevor's spirit and the power of community."
Last week, a former Southern States' supervisor, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the explosion.
