Family and friends say goodbye to a local firefighter
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - A hero's salute today to a beloved Pittsburgh firefighter.
Dozens made their way from Pittsburgh to Butler County for a final farewell to a fallen firefighter.
Captain James Ellis spent 23 years as a firefighter and touched countless lives along the way.
Family and friends said being a firefighter was all he had dreamed about since being a kid. You could tell the impact he'd made in his life by the number of pews that were filled.
Ellis was a captain with Pittsburgh Fire Station 32 in Deutschtown on the North Side. But he grew up in Mars Borough, where he learned that being a firefighter was generational.
He had covid-19 but ultimately died from pancreatitis. And as his loved ones carried his casket inside — you could see the hurt on all of their faces.
Family and friends said Ellis was brave, dedicated, and always committed to helping others.
Ellis was just 49 years old.
He's being buried in the Adams Area Fire District - which is in his hometown of Mars.