Plano Fire-Rescue Driver Engineer Passes Away After Cancer Fight
PLANO, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - Family and friends are mourning the loss of Plano Fire-Rescue Driver Engineer Gerald Don Becker, who passed away after a long and hard fought illness.
His death is a Line of Duty Death as his diagnosed occupation-related cancer was presumably directly linked to his work as a firefighter, according to Plano Fire-Rescue spokeswoman Captain Peggy Harrell.
Becker, 62, was surrounded by family and fellow firefighters when he died Thursday morning at the Baylor Scott & White T. Boone Pickens Cancer Hospital in Dallas.
Becker grew up in Mesquite and began his career in the fire service in August 1983 when he was hired by Plano Fire-Rescue as a firefighter. He promoted to Driver Engineer in June 1999 and was very involved in training his fellow firefighters, especially on the compressed air foam system that he was quite partial to.
At PFR, Becker, who was lovingly known as Goon, worked at several fire stations, with the last many years spent at Plano's Fire Station 3 on B shift.
He is survived by his wife, Marian, two grown sons and two grown stepdaughters.
