'Quiet hero': Baltimore veteran firefighter to be honored among fallen heroes

BALTIMORE -- An 11-year veteran of the Baltimore City Fire Department is remembered by his loved ones. 

In October 2022, Juan Wilson, a firefighter and EMT, died while giving life-saving care to someone in need. 

Wilson will be one of 11 Maryland first responders to be memorialized on Friday in an annual ceremony dedicated to fallen heroes. 

His family will be joined by Gov.Wes Moore and the 10 other families at Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens as the bells toll for the 38th annual Ceremony for Fallen Heroes.

Wilson was just 34 years old with a whole life and career of compassion and empathy ahead of him. 

At Engine 53 in Edmondson Village, he will forever be known as a humble hero. 

"You all call him, they call him a hero," said Jacqueline Garrett, Wilson's mother. "I call him a quiet hero because he never was a boaster. He never brought his work, when he was staying with me before he bought his house, he never came home, and you know, talked about his job or nothing like that."

Wilson was on a call getting ready to perform CPR a patient in need when he had a medical emergency of his own that put him in the hospital for a month on life support.

He died in late October 2022,- just 10 days after turning 34 years old. 

"I'll be missing him coming through my front door and talking to me," Garrett said. "He used to come and put my trash out for me and take care of little things that I could not do. And, you know, his voice, his laugh…you know."

"It's been kind of bittersweet just knowing that he died doing something that he loved," said JoVonne Lewis, Wilson's Godsister.

And since his death, his love for service, his fellow first responders and his family has kept their faith strong.

He was also a role model for his Godsister's children

"He was always respectful to any female or woman that was in his presence," Lewis said. "So they had a chance to see that and see the good version and not what everyone says, what it's supposed to be. They got to see the reality of a true gentleman."

Wilson was described as a gentleman through and through.

But for his fellow first responders, he was everything that his profession would have wanted him to be. 

Now all his mother has is his Heavenly spirit to keep her comforted in his physical absence. 

"I think he does little things that I'm like, 'OK are you here listening to me or looking out,' but I said I know he's taking care of me, I know he's watching over me," Garrett said. "I know he is because so many wonderful things have happened since he passed away. He has really taken care of me beyond leaving this world."

And now the world he leaves behind will forever know his laughter, service and sacrifice as he gets set to be memorialized as a fallen hero at Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens. 

"And I want my family and my Goddaughter to share in that and to know his name is written somewhere with love…love and appreciation," Garrett said.